Mean Girls

This applies to girls mostly.

What's up? I haven't written anything in a while, and I'm not entirely sure why. My comedic juices ran out maybe. Or I was never funny to begin with and I'm realizing that harsh truth. At any rate, I actually do have a topic I want to write about. It's been on my mind for a while. It's something I wish I could change. But it's not up to me and I have very little influence on it anyway. It's kind of a serious thing, and I may share some personal stuff here, so please be kind.

It's about high school. And back biting, gossiping, and just being flat out mean. There's a reason they made a movie about it. It's quite funny, but painfully true.

So um, I was the shy, home-schooled kid in high school. I was so concerned about what kids my age would think of me, that for the most part, I didn't hang out with anyone outside family members. And we moved a bit while I was the high school age. Well there was one place we were in that was a little bit worse than the others. The girls would spread rumors, make up vicious nick names, and be flat out mean even to other's faces. It wasn't pretty.

But this experience taught me a lot of things I want to share with other girls.

1. A lot of the time, I let circumstances outside my control keep me from being happy. I couldn't control how people acted, yet I still would feel sad and hurt and alone. But that wasn't their fault, it was mine. I would say to young girls going through high school right now, please don't do this to yourselves. Do what you love, wear what you love, be what you love. You will be so much happier. I didn't learn this until after high school. but I did learn it. No one can stop you from enjoying every possible second of your life. It's a fight sometimes, but it is possible.

2. If I hear "news" about someone else, I will not spread it, no matter how I think it will go over. Girls, we struggle with this A LOT. We just love to talk, and that talking usually leads to talking about other people. But other people most likely don't like their business being discussed, and things can get twisted until the truth is lost in a mess of exaggeration. You never want to look at the people around you and feel like you can't trust them. So be someone other people can trust. Let the talk stop at you.

3. Be nice. When it seems almost impossible to greet some girls with a smile, do it anyway. Being kind always makes me feel 10 times better than the most elaborately planned vengeance. Not that I ever planned vengeance, ha. ha. Seriously, there are things I did that I'm not proud of in response to what went on, but there are also good things that I am so glad I did. As a quick example, there was one girl who seemed to dislike my very presence. So I made her cookies. Haha, at the time, my motives might not have been ENTIRELY pure, but the intent was mostly good. And I didn't even put laxative in them!!

4. Speak nicely. Don't just act nice, but keep your mouth in control. I still struggle with this a bit. But there is seriously such a difference in how people react to unexpected loving words as opposed to something sassy or sarcastic.. Since I don't speak loving words much, I notice the difference a lot.

4. As cliche as it sounds, you are NEVER alone. Even if you think not even your parents can understand what you are going through, you have a Heavenly Dad who loves the heck out of you!! And He knows exactly what is troubling you. ANNNNDDD, you can talk to Him literally ANY time. So talk to Him often. Don't let the harshness of life turn you away from real love and concern. Up until this point I was mostly saying "I", but now I am saying "you" because I am talking to whatever girl reads this.

Life can be happy, even in the rough, dramatic, painful time known as high school. I'm gonna be cheesy for a sec, but I know it's tough and if there is so much as one teenage girl who reads this and is going through some nasty crud, just know that I know how you feel, and things will be okay, I promise.

 You can be happy :)