My fifteen year old daughter loves to write; she always has. For years I have been finding piles of notebook paper in drawers and under her bed – all stories in the making. One night last week Gwen finished her homework by 9:00 pm, and she proclaimed she was just going to write.
“Write something for my blog!” I said.
“What should I write about?” she asked.
I told her to write whatever she wanted, whatever she knew. Write about being a teenager. Less than an hour later I received an email with the following post. I didn’t edit it at all. Funny thing is, one choice for today’s Finish the Sentence Friday prompt is “Right now I am thankful for…” Gwen’s piece fits in perfectly, and that is a total coincidence. I guess Thankful is in the air…
Yes, I am a teenager. Yes, I am stuck in that horrendous, dreaded, awkward phase called puberty. And yes, I have incredibly dark circles under my eyes and those fabulous pilly sweatpants that are, oh so, attractive. But I guess that’s a part of going through high school and striving to do your best.
Being a teenager is a hassle – and those aren’t just my uninvited hormones talking. I am up at the crack of dawn (really before the crack of dawn) to get ready for school. I wake up, turn off my alarm, brush my teeth and wash my face. I throw on the first clothes I see, which happen to never be the clothes my mom bought me, rather my old sweatpants and a sweatshirt or a North Face. I barely even touch my face – maybe some concealer if I actually care. What does it matter to me? I have no one to impress. It’s also 6:30 in the morning and the only thing that I am thinking about is the test in Chemistry that I forgot to study for. I shove some breakfast down and pack up my backpack, grabbing a water bottle as I leave.
When I get to school, I am met by the lovely faces of my teachers reminding me of the essay I have due tomorrow or the Pre-Calculus test that is in two days on topics that we never learned. I finally finish the school day only to realize that I have 10 pounds (literally, not figuratively) of homework to do. So, I stay up and write essays and study and do other homework until 10:30pm and am asleep by 11 – on good days. There have been days where I have been bogged down with homework until 1:30am! I’m 15 years old and getting less than 5 of sleep? That just doesn’t sound right.
Though it may not seem like it, I am a very appreciative person – I realize that I’m really lucky to be where I am and have what I have. I know that some people would give an arm and a leg for an education like I’m receiving. I know this. I try so hard to realize how valuable my education is, but with the stress of high school, the ensuing college search, balancing with attempting to have somewhat of a social life, it’s hard to appreciate school and the information I’m learning.
Thank you Gwen, for letting me share your words. I’m thankful for you, a million times over.
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