Once Upon a Time....
There was a girl, she just entered Jr. High, and she was looking forward to it. She didn't expect to make any friends, she already had enough. She wasn't scared, she'd been to the building before, with her older siblings for school plays. She was prepared, and she thought she knew what was coming her way.
But, she didn't.
The first week, she kept missing the bus, desperately trying to open her locker. In most of her classes, she didn't know anybody, and only saw friends during lunch. Halls were crowded, and looking for her classes was difficult. She often didn't know if it were an A day or B day, and she'd spend half an hour in the wrong class.
But in the end, she found her feet. She made a few friends in P.E., but most of her "new" friends were from connections. She lost some old friends, from fights, or lack of communication.
The next year, she didn't like she was good enough, and "fitting in" was the biggest thing on her mind. She made more friends, and she learned that she never could have enough friends. She also started dealing with drama at home, with her father's abuse to her mother. She found escape with friends, and talked to the ones she trusted. During the summer she proclaimed she was technically in 9th grade, so she was old enough for summer seminary, and that became her best escape. She invited friends, but most of the time, she went alone. The church became a whole new thing to her. Saying that she was a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Days saints meant everything to her. She found self worth, and that her Heavenly Father loved her.
9th grade was difficult at home still. The girl's parents were separated once during her 8th grade year, but during the beginning of her 9th grade year, her parents filed for divorce. The Girl looked up to her mom, for standing up for herself, and also finding self worth. The girl had a hard time forgiving her father for hurting her mom, and not trying hard enough to keep the family together. At School, the girl had found her closest friends, and she leaned on them, and the gospel, and loved every minute of seminary. The girl stopped talking much about family problems, not because she became closed from her friends, but because she didn't want to be reminded about it outside of home. But still found joy in talking to her friends and goofing off. Her friends were her world, and she didn't know what she could do without them. Her two best friends went to her to the seminary building often. When life was hard during school, and she had seen or heard enough things that frustrated her, seminary with her friends during lunch was an escape. There, she felt safe. Nothing could hurt her.
Her mom informed her her father had received the house, and that her family would have to move out, she didn't know where, or when. The girl prayed that she would find a house nearby, so she wouldn't lose her friends. Later, the girl was informed again by her mother, they would be moving around her relatives so her mother could receive family support, and because a college up there well known for their nursing program. (what her mom was planning to go into). Devastated, the girl clung to her friends, trying to spend much time with them as possible.
Summer was hard. The moving date kept moving, and she didn't know how much longer she had. The girl went to summer seminary, but this time, but not alone with friends. When she moved, she was certain she'd never fit into the new environment. People talked the same, wore the same clothes, but the girl felt like everything was different. More people weren't active in the church, or weren't in it at all. Some went to church every week, but outside, they didn't follow the church. The girl made a vow she would never lower her standards, or to ever lose her friends. The girl hated all her classes, she had no friends, even though she wanted them badly.
Talking to her old friend, he told her to move on. That she was living somewhere else, but trying to live where she wasn't. Other friends tried to cox her to into stop staring at the past, and to move on. Her friends were making new friends, and with some, she was certain she'd been forgotten, or replaced. She clung to the gospel still, and found that while everything else had changed, it hadn't. None of this was God's fault, if anything, this was for her to become a better person.
Finally, the girl tried to take the advice she was given. The girl realized that many of the kids there were reaching out to her. Gratefully, she accepted that, and became friends with many of them, and she thanks the lord for sending them to her, like her other friends.
Now, this girl is still making friends, still trying to keep her close friends from her previous city, and staying close to the gospel. She feels many of her friends slipping away, and it hurts her. But some of her friends are still there for her, and she feels like she can still talk to her about anything. Her mother stands closer to feeling self worth. The girl often finds herself feeling like this is all a dream, and soon, she'll find herself back to where she started, in the beginning of seventh grade. The girl sometimes feels down, but she realizes that everyday, she's becoming more and more like herself.
That Girl is a Zebraunicornasiss. That Girl is Me.
And I'm still trying to live the gospel all the way, so that way I can live
Happily Ever After.
