April 14, 2014
Dear Friend,
I am writing this is in hindsight, which I’ve learned is important, because it is always 20/20. Throughout my life up until this point, I have always tried to wrap my brain around why things happen. I am a firm believer in the statement that everything happens for a reason, and my freshman year of high school has taught me that you often find that reason, later than you would like to.
My 9th grade year has been full of new experiences and lots of lessons that have, sadly, been learned the hard way. I entered high school extremely scared. Saying I was nervous would be the biggest understatement imaginable. And asking me why I was so terrified would be the hardest, unanswerable question imaginable. I guess it was a mixture of new teachers, classes, sports, and the pressure of getting into college. And not going to lie, the first couple weeks of school were terrible. I went in with way to high of expectations for myself and was extremely let down. I really hated high school. The workload skyrocketed, I hadn’t found new friends, and the lack of comfort I felt walking through the hallways made me think about switching schools again. But boy am I glad I didn’t.
It has amazed me looking back on how much I have grown and matured as a person just from my first year of high school. Looking back on who I was a year ago, I can barely recognize myself (in the best way possible). Ever struggle I have faced this year, whether it came from boys, academics, friends, or family, has allowed me to learn the most important lesson about life: that it goes on.
This is a philosophy that now impacts me every single day of my life. And getting through the past couple years battling depression, I cannot even begin to explain how much these four words have changed my mentality and inevitably my life. Through every struggle I have ever faced since that moment I had that epiphany, I have been able to deal with issues much more levelheadedly and have become much, much happier.
Before I wrap this letter up, I want to let you know that even though I chose not to go into detail about my depression, (or really, the one thing that changed my life completely) words cannot express how happy I am to say that I am no longer in that pitch black place, and that I am the happiest I have ever been in a long, long time. Honestly.
Love always,
Claire
Dear Friend,
I am writing this is in hindsight, which I’ve learned is important, because it is always 20/20. Throughout my life up until this point, I have always tried to wrap my brain around why things happen. I am a firm believer in the statement that everything happens for a reason, and my freshman year of high school has taught me that you often find that reason, later than you would like to.
My 9th grade year has been full of new experiences and lots of lessons that have, sadly, been learned the hard way. I entered high school extremely scared. Saying I was nervous would be the biggest understatement imaginable. And asking me why I was so terrified would be the hardest, unanswerable question imaginable. I guess it was a mixture of new teachers, classes, sports, and the pressure of getting into college. And not going to lie, the first couple weeks of school were terrible. I went in with way to high of expectations for myself and was extremely let down. I really hated high school. The workload skyrocketed, I hadn’t found new friends, and the lack of comfort I felt walking through the hallways made me think about switching schools again. But boy am I glad I didn’t.
It has amazed me looking back on how much I have grown and matured as a person just from my first year of high school. Looking back on who I was a year ago, I can barely recognize myself (in the best way possible). Ever struggle I have faced this year, whether it came from boys, academics, friends, or family, has allowed me to learn the most important lesson about life: that it goes on.
This is a philosophy that now impacts me every single day of my life. And getting through the past couple years battling depression, I cannot even begin to explain how much these four words have changed my mentality and inevitably my life. Through every struggle I have ever faced since that moment I had that epiphany, I have been able to deal with issues much more levelheadedly and have become much, much happier.
Before I wrap this letter up, I want to let you know that even though I chose not to go into detail about my depression, (or really, the one thing that changed my life completely) words cannot express how happy I am to say that I am no longer in that pitch black place, and that I am the happiest I have ever been in a long, long time. Honestly.
Love always,
Claire