I was doing some research for my quarter life group the other day , discussing possible quarter life struggles with a colleague and she asked a good question, “I wonder what our parents struggled with when they were quarter-lifers?”

It is so easy to think of our parents in the state that they are presently. For some, that is fairly secure. Perhaps they currently own a home (still making payments perhaps), make a decent income, and get to travel and have nice dinners every once in a while. But young adult children forget that stability is not where their parents were 20 years ago. It is easy to forget the hard work, time, and dedication they had to put in to get where they are at in their careers.

There was also the realization, that many current quarter-lifers’ parents were parents in their mid 20’s. The struggles of being new parents, little sleep, not enough money, trying to learn how to be a “good” parent, may have compounded the career struggles, not feeling appreciated, working hard with little pay off, everyday stress building up into anxiety or depression.  Or maybe instead of a quarter-life group they were looking for couples’ counseling.

No matter the worries at any age, one of the keys I have discovered, is to enjoy the moments, appreciate what one has and acknowledge when happiness is present. It makes the hard work and deep thoughts worth it all.