Teenage Years

Teenage Years

Some of the best

And the worst

Years of your life

Or so I hear

Some of the hardest

And most rewarding

Or so I hear

My teenage years have been a doozy

I’ve had massive

Highs and lows

Huge changes

Good and bad

My first girlfriend was manipulative

And emotionally abusive

My current girlfriend is amazing

Kind and funny

My relationship with my best friend

Was so co-dependent

It was unhealthy

But we have healed it

This is all about par for the course

Or so I hear

Teenage years 

Are rocky

Mental health 

Is a struggle

Depression

Anxiety

Suicidal ideation 

Self-harm

And so much more

No matter what

Your struggles are

You’ve gotta find the right people

Who’ll give you that support

That every human needs

Whether those people are

Your family

Friends

Therapists

Teachers

Or anyone else

You’ve gotta make sure

That they’re there 

And for the right reasons too

Teenage years

Are filled with

Self doubt

And self discovery

Trying to fit in with crowds

Can end in disaster 

And yet it’s oh-so tempting 

Addictions are real

And can ruin your life

And it’s not always that easy to say no

Being addicted doesn’t make you a bad person

It just means you’re going through

Some bad things

I’ve known (and lost) 

Truly amazing people

Who struggled with addiction

Teenage years can suck

This I know without a doubt

Many of my years as a teen have been

Utterly miserable

I've been hurt

Traumatized

Defeated

I’ve found myself

Only to lose myself once again

Teenage years are hard

But I implore you not to give up

I know that being a teenager isn’t easy, and there’s a lot of stuff you’ve gotta go through, but seriously, you’ve got this! It may not seem like it now, but y’all are stronger than you know. I know it’s a really scary time politically, but don’t give up. Keep fighting, and it’ll pay off. <3