Torianna Marasco

Growing up is so strange sometimes.

Maybe I shouldn’t say “growing up” but rather becoming a young adult.

Last weekend, I drove downstate for a family gathering, and it was so nice to see people that I don’t see all that often anymore.

These are family members we used to see at church each week or gather for a family barbecue a few times in the summer. Now, especially since many of the kids have moved away from home, we tend to only see each other at weddings, baby showers, graduation parties, and other big events. The casual time spent together dissipated.

Growing up alongside my cousins, it feels odd to see them getting engaged, working corporate jobs, planning weddings, having kids, etc. — a lot of which were hot topics last weekend — even though I’m experiencing some of the same things.

We gathered at my aunt and uncle’s house, spending a good portion of the time in the basement — a basement where I grew up playing with dolls or running around the space with my cousin. But last weekend, my cousin and I were instead making drinks behind the bar, chatting about what we’ve been up to in our jobs and living in our respective parts of Michigan.

Though the space had certainly changed and the children’s toys are long gone, I still viewed the basement the way I did when I was a kid. I could still picture the toy house in the corner of the room and the doll house that was kept in the toy closet.

Now, we watch another cousin’s almost-1-year-old roam, playing with his toys and being passed around. Everyone wanted to hold the baby since the baby before him is now 13 years old.

Dynamics have changed, and for some reason, it just feels surreal sometimes.

I had a long conversation with one of my uncles that evening. He previously worked in journalism, so since I started working here at The News, we’ve had plenty of conversations about my job, his experience, and more relating to the industry.

He has seen me grow up, has seen every stage of my life, and now, we have this common interest and experience. It’s such an odd thing to think about sometimes. I mean, the man used to change my diapers, and now, in theory, if he still worked in journalism, we could’ve been coworkers.

My cousin, his son, was telling me that evening that my uncle lights up when he talks about me following in his footsteps. He said my uncle is so impressed with my writing, which my parents and others have said to me before, but coming from him, it just means more.

Growing up, you never imagine that you’re going to have these common interests with the older generations in your family. Being a kid, you feel so separated from your parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, etc. You don’t realize how quickly those dynamics can change, especially as a young adult.

Now, I hang out with my parents and their friends more often than I see some of my own friends, and though I am still the kid of the group, it doesn’t always feel that way.

It’s like, suddenly, you’re a part of the conversation.

When everyone else is talking about their jobs, now you are, too. Conversations about upcoming weddings and buying houses and whatever else, you start to join in on those, too.

You become immersed in the conversations with relatives and family friends that you used to just sit back and listen to.

As a young adult, you see that dynamic change in other aspects, too.

Growing up, we had teachers who were decades older than us. They were our superiors, and we followed their lead.

Now, in the workplace, people who are the same age as some of your former teachers become your equals. Or, in some cases, you become their boss, which is a whole thing in itself.

I feel like no one really talks about that change in life, when you hit a certain age or milestone, and it changes the way you interact with others.

It’s just a part of life, I guess.

I’m curious to know how those dynamics will continue to change or how and when I might see the next generation start to become a part of those conversations as well.