Upon opening this assignment, I have to admit, I half chuckled to myself at the irony that I unknowingly completed it a week ago. I went for a family hike Easter morning and as I was walking down the trail, a certain plant caught my attention. I took a photo of the cluster of spiraled stems, and later showed my mom who informed me it was actually just a fern that hadn’t completely matured yet. I couldn’t believe it was a mere fern, being as my yard is full of them, and I thought I would have recognized the plant mid-bloom. But once we returned home, I walked to the front yard and behold, a miniature jungle of those little unfurling scrolls.

It surprised me that such a common plant had intrigued me to such a degree, but what surprised me even more, was that I had been so unobservant, and had glanced right over this tiny wonder, what must’ve been thousands of times. But then it struck me that we almost never realize change until it’s finalized. The process often goes unnoticed. We don’t realize we’re maturing, until we handle a situation, and are impressed with the grace and elegance we displayed, compared to how we would’ve handled it before. We don’t realize we are growing older day-by-day, but we notice it when we look at the way our faces have aged while comparing ourselves to an old picture we found.

Every part of the process matters. And I think this is something we forget. We look at the here-and-now, what is important in the moment. We look at people based on how they are presented to us. The basis of our opinions are much more heavily affected by first impressions than considering the weight of one’s past.

While yes, who someone is today matters more now than who they were yesterday, I think that where someone has been needs to be considered and respected. Everyone is at a different stage on their own path and that needs to be understood. Most times people haven’t yet reached that “final destination” they’re striving for. At very few points in our lives are we going to settle into a comfortable, stable routine.

Isn’t it ironic that in a time where the world is put on hold and we can finally see that we’re in the midst of change, I’m realizing these things. That the “in-between” stages matter and there is meaning in every step along the way. I know it’s a cliche, but I don’t think I truly realized the validity of the statement, it’s about the journey, not the destination, which holds so much truth. 

Reaching that end goal is the objective. But thinking back to any accomplishment of mine, it’s not the plaque or trophy that has any meaning to me, it’s the memories of the hardships and the perseverance it took along the way. Because it isn’t the literal victory that proves your success, it is the way you’ve built your character and the growth you have achieved throughout the process. 

And so, I guess what I’m trying to say, is that maybe instead we’re all just a bunch of baby ferns. We’re all works in progress. Who we are today is not the final destination, and life is a continuous cycle of lessons and growth until our final day. It’s important to go through life with an open mind because change is inevitable. It’s happening all around us whether we notice it or not. We mustn’t take anything for surface value because usually there’s a lot more to someone’s story than you’ll ever gather from your preconceived notions of them. It a world so concerned with norms and certainties, it is essential we remind ourselves to look at the bigger picture and realize that any person’s journey is valid, even if it doesn’t mirror anything you’ve been exposed to before. 

Emma Charles