My Own Path

I've been thinking a lot about the future lately

And how there seems to be so many requirements.

Graduate high school

Go to college

Graduate college

Get a job

Get a husband

Have a family

Live to see your great grandchildren

Die at a ripe old age. 

Sure, that lifestyle works for many people, but I have been reminding myself lately that there is more than that one way to live my life. I don't have to do what other people my age are doing. My priorities and values can be different, and that's okay. For me, given my recent life experiences, a lot of the things my peers find important are mere specks of dust in my mind. Grades, boyfriends, social lives--these things are no longer important in my mind. I now realize that there are things far more important that we should focus on. I'd prefer to focus on finding a home within myself and learning to be self compassionate and happy. If that means sacrificing some of the "normal" teenage experiences, so be it. I know what it's like to be in total darkness, and hitting rock bottom has made me realize that getting a grade lower than an A is no big deal. It's okay for me to wander off the beaten path. If I'm happy and content within myself, everything else will fall into place. I can work on learning the banjo and climbing mountains if I want to. It doesn't matter if my friends are busy going to sports practice and attending football games. There aren't any rules to leading the "right" life. 

I'm at a different place than my peers. And yes, that can be pretty hard, since I feel as though I cannot always relate to others my age. But I am where I am supposed to be. And that's okay.