Growing up?

Just a few days ago I heard from a friend from junior high (my dad used to date her mom, just after my parents' divorce). She's married now, with a two-year-old. Her husband is a Marine. It's so strange in some ways... I can't imagine her as a mother, or as a doting wife. I guess to me she's always 13. It's been ten years since we really spoke. We had mutual friends in high school, and I sometimes heard about her. I knew she was having a rough time of it at times (didn't we all in high school?), but it looks like she's pulled her life together, and she seems really happy. And grown up. Weird how it's OK for me to be grown up but strange for everyone else. sometimes it's like I'm getting older and everyone else stays the same.

It's much like my stepbrother, who just joined the Army, and is in Basic as we speak. He's eighteen, and he's made some very mature decisions of which I am very proud. When I saw him 4th of July weekend I was surprised at his maturity, and his attitude about the whole situation. He's making really smart, well-thought-out decisions which fit into his long-term goals. But part of me will always see him as ten years old. He's going to Korea soon, and to part of me he's a preteen. Weird.