To be appreciated

Next week I am moving out of my house and into a new apartment as Residence Hall Director. The transition is going to be strange I am sure, but it helps to have a great deal of certainty surrounding me. There are, of course, many things about my new life and job that I am uncertain about, but that is to say about every change/transition in one's life.

What I am certain about however, is encompassed more in my personal life. The people who surround and love me keep me motivated not only to keep going, but to become even better than I am. They push me to strive for the ultimate in whatever I do, even though I may be interested in so many different things at the same time. It is because of their love and support that I am as self-confident as I am today.

I did not start out this way and in fact, was bullied and teased a lot in school growing up. Sure, I am still teased and joked with now, but there is a difference in the way the words or actions hit me now. My middle school years were absolutely terrible and I have come to learn a little more about why. Some of the teasing or words have changed since them, but the main difference is that I no longer believe the words that peoples say. In middle school, I took every insult and every push to mean that I was less of a person than my bullies, and that I should just be sure to stay out of their way. To keep to myself.

Since that time, I have not grown up to be the bully myself, but rather, grown up beyond the bullies. I see now how insecure they must be, to take aim at someone who can not, or does not defend themselves. When they see someone who takes their words personally, they return to this person again and again.

Today, I am standing not only on my own two feet, but standing up for those who cant or wont stand up for themselves. I owe this ability to my family, and my amazing friends that have taught me to love who I am and be proud of myself. I am not a supermodel and I am no genius, but I work hard and like being around people who don't give a damn what the media says we "should be."

Last night I made apple crisp and went over to a friend's house for no reason but to be together (and they wanted to watch Grey's). Nights like these have insurmountable meaning for people, even if you may think you are sitting next to the most self secure person in the world. If there is one thing that you do today, let it be that you let someone important in your life know what they mean to you. You don't have to go all sappy on me, but just tell them thank you or tell them a secret. Because when you reach out to them they feel that trust and care, giving them a feeling of being appreciated.

Everyone needs to be loved. Everyone should feel that they are apart of something, that they are needed.