When I was a kid, my mom never used a GPS. She didn’t have one. But more importantly, she didn’t need one, at least not in my eyes. She always seemed to be able to get us exactly where we were going with no problems, even if we were going somewhere she had never been before. I had no idea how to get anywhere, partially because I was kid and partially because I have no sense of direction whatsoever, so this astounded me. I came to the conclusion that all adults had some sort of secret special ability to find their way around places, and I assumed that I would someday develop this skill, too.

Boy, was I wrong. I am now 21 years old, and I can’t navigate anywhere without directions. I get lost just trying to drive around Fort Smith, a city I’ve lived just outside of for nearly 15 years. If the ability to navigate new areas is a skill all adults are supposed to have, then I must have missed out on that one somewhere along the way.

Not that I consider myself completely “grown up” just yet. I’m still pretty young, and I’ve got a lot more growing up to do. But I’m certainly not a kid, and I’m starting to slowly get an idea of what it’s like to be an adult. And one thing that I’ve found out is that, contrary to what most kids think, adults don’t have it all figured out. They question things, too. They still wonder about who they are and where they belong in life. They’re still growing and changing and learning and experiencing new things, too. And, yes, sometimes adults get lost.

I think this became most clear to me one night last summer. I was at a church event at a park, and I was babysitting my nephew Aiden. My mom was coming by to pick him up, and she called me to ask how to get to where I was. Whoa. My mom, the one who drove me around for years, the one I thought knew how to get everywhere, was asking me for directions? No way.

OK, maybe it wasn’t that dramatic, but you get my point. It was then that I realized my mom didn’t know how to get everywhere without directions. In fact, she has a GPS installed in her car now, and she uses it on a regular basis. Because it’s OK to need a little direction every once in a while. It’s OK not to have it all figured out. Each of us is on a journey, and that journey doesn’t end when you become an adult. My journey is just beginning, and I can’t wait to see what lies ahead. Some days I may feel like a lost little kid without a map, but that’s alright. I’ll find my way. Sometimes, grownups need directions, too.