Why It Hurts Growing Up

(And Why It’s a Good Thing You’re Not as Cute as You Used to Be)

Photo by Blake Meyer on Unsplash

There is a photo of me at seven, tiny arms tucked into an oversized school shirt, athletics carnival ribbon pinned to my chest, the top of my shoulder-length hair pulled back in a half-bun. I am objectively, universally, undeniably cute.

My cuteness is no longer objective. In my adult years some have found me cute and many have…