I remember being 14 in my freshman year of high school. I not only remember my unnecessarily short hair and makeup-free face but also how afraid I was. I didn’t know what to expect and I was scared of the future. I didn’t want to think about classes, finals, college, and life after school. The thought of all that frightened me. I remember feeling stuck. I couldn’t possibly see myself being an “adult”.
I thought that high school was the beginning of the rest of my life. I thought that the bullying, the rumors, the “in” crowd and my grades would be with me for the rest of my life. I never imagined life getting better. I went through times that made it even more difficult to believe that it would get better. But I was wrong about high school being the beginning of it all and I was wrong about it not getting better, because throughout the years somehow life did.
Now I’m sitting here, 19 years old, about to begin my spring semester of my sophomore year of college. It’s 12:30 in the morning and I’m about to go to sleep but I just can’t stop thinking about how my life has turned out so far. I’m currently stressing over money, and friends, and my future career. I’m sitting here thinking that I’m stuck and life won’t get better. But then I remember how I also thought that 5 years ago. All the drama and negativity that I was going through in high school; the heartbreak, the sadness, the lies, guess what? They’re all gone.
I’m happy with my life now. Sure I still have struggles but I’m in a great place. I have true friends, a loving family, an amazing boyfriend, I go to college, my grades are doing well, and I have so many opportunities to come my way. Back when I was 14 I never would have pictured any of this.
So, if you’re feeling stuck right now and just don’t know what is going to happen next, please don’t be afraid. It will be okay, you will be okay. I promise. And a few years from now you will be about to get into bed after a long day and remember the younger you and how you thought that none of this was possible. You will be able to see how life got better and how you can now say you’ve made it.