Today, my daughter turns 19.
I cannot help but think about who I was at 19.
At that age, I had my first baby. I was in college and working full time. I truly believed I had all the answers. I thought I had endless energy and enough optimism to carry me through anything.
I believed that if I just worked hard enough, pushed through enough, and sacrificed enough, I could overcome any obstacle life placed in front of me.
But life does not always happen the way you expect it to.
There were curveballs. There were seasons that stretched me thin. There were moments that humbled me and people who did not pour back into me the way I poured into them.
And yet, I survived.
Now here she is.
My daughter.
Nineteen.
She is a college student juggling school and multiple jobs, learning how to balance ambition with burnout in real time.
The biggest thing I find myself telling her is this.
There will always be time to make more money. There will not always be time to take care of yourself.
Money will come and go. Your health, your peace, your relationships, and your memories with the people you love are not things you can clock in for later.
Time with family is priceless.
Time with friends is priceless.
Experiences are priceless.
Chasing money to buy things can wait. Investing in experiences cannot.
At 19, I wish I knew my worth sooner. I wish I did not give people permission to speak down to me or take advantage of my kindness. I wish I understood that protecting your energy is just as important as building your resume.
I also wish I knew that it is okay to say no. Saying no does not make you mean or selfish. It means you know your limits and you are setting your boundaries.
Life is not set in stone.
You will have many eras. Many pivots. Many moments where you think, “I did not plan for this.”
And that is okay.
Show yourself grace. Diamonds have to be tumbled before they shine.
It is okay to ask for help. It does not make you weak. It means you are wise enough to know you do not have to carry everything alone.
You will not always have all the answers. Stay humble anyway. Stay kind anyway.
Watching my first daughter turn 19, the same age I was when I was stepping into adulthood before I was ready, has me feeling everything all at once.
Pride.
Hope.
A little fear.
And a whole lot of love.
Because now I know what I did not know then.
You do not have to have it all figured out to turn out okay.
Flo is a voice actor, blogger, and content creator behind Goin with the Flo. When she is not recording voices for video games or animation, she is probably reheating her coffee, updating a to-do list she will ignore, and wondering how she went from burning CDs to scheduling doctor’s appointments.