Aug 31, 2021
Every now and then, Cecilia and Hannah wonder, “are we there, have we made it, can we finally call ourselves adults?” It just seems like we’ve been waiting for decades for that certificate of achievement, or that special feeling that lets us know we’ve made the grade.
Yes, we are in our sixties and still asking ourselves, What does it mean to be an adult?
So this week on our Twisting the Plot Podcast we talk with Julie Lythcott-Haims, who wrote Your Turn: How To Be An Adult.
A former corporate lawyer, Julie became a Dean at Stanford University and then wrote a book, How to Raise an Adult. She also wrote a memoir, Real American, about growing up black and biracial in white spaces.
In her latest book, Julie has a lot to say about growing up. Her voice is direct and encouraging. She gets candid about her experience and she fills her book with stories by and about many different people navigating adulthood. Julie calls the storytelling her “commitment to inclusion.” The stories by diverse groups of storytellers confirm a very important message: being an adult is universally complex, ongoing and not easy.
We felt reassured after reading the book. It gave us a lot to think about, a lot of tips and tools. We understand that being an adult is less a destination and more an ongoing process.
Julie’s book is written for young, emerging adults but it’s good for us older adult wannabees too. Perhaps it is finally “our turn.”