Growing up over time

I just had my birthday and the day/night before I had butterflies in my stomach because I was scared to turn 16. Most my friends already are and have been driving and doing all the 16 year old stuff so I don't know what was making me nervous. I thought about it more and I decided I was afraid of some unreal drastic change in who I am. I woke up and nothing felt different at all. At school some random people said happy birthday and in 2 classes they sang but not much more attention then that. I came home and my mom went a little crazy with the whole "sweet 16" but that just made me smile a whole lot because she normally does not do that stuff. I had a small party and no crazy gifts really... and acted like a little kid and played at the park and pretended with my friends, we were Harry Potter characters and I was Cedric Diggory, I laughed so much my abs hurt and smiled so much my face hurt. I had the most fun I have had in a long time, and I realized that you really don't change from one night to the next it all happens over time.

I know look at pictures and finally I see myself as being sixteen, I see all my friends as being older.
I always thought that something was weird with my class or something because they never seemed like the kids older then us or even younger but that is just because it was how I looked at it all, now I see. You don't need all the make-up and clothes that they shoe in the movies and the actors are usually older then the characters they are playing, so it just gives you false ideas.

I believe that I am sixteen and that I am living a great life.