I am a teenager.

As a teenager, I am glad to be alive. Sometimes my life is so exciting but at other times it can be boring. I often think a lot about myself, and often wonder who I am or where I am going. Sometimes I feel I cannot control my emotions but I need to go somewhere private to think quietly by myself. #Things are starting to go 'not great' in my life right now :|

Teenage years are years of change: a movement from childhood to adolescence, from the familiar to the unfamiliar. Even though it is a time for exploring, experimenting and adapting to new experiences, it can be quiet frightening. Yet I sometimes feel immature, but other times, well... I have to be mature. I'm not a kid anymore. Not a 10-year-old kiddo.

As I grow, I want to feel free to exercise rational thought and free will. If I show kindness to someone less fortunate than myself or help my mother with housework, it is because I really want to do it and not because I am forced to do it.

As a teenager I sometimes wish that I knew everything and had the answer to every question. In reality, I know it will never happen. The truth is, every day of my life, there is something more to learn, something more to understand and to explore something that will motivate and inspire me to be a better human being. This makes life exciting and worthwhile and I look forward to the breaking of the new dawn.

Sometimes I feel hurt, awkward and embarrassed when I make a remark that is not meant to be funny, yet people laugh. I am extremely conscious of the opinions and others and have rather strong likes and dislikes. I believe other teenagers also think like me.

As a teenager, I am sometimes moody. Sometimes it is not easy to explain why I am miserable because I am not sure myself. At other times I am eager to talk about serious things to my parents and teachers, but I feel awkward and do not know where to begin. I feel confused and in doubt. I feel that some days my parents control me as if I were still a child and yet, on other days, they seem to expect me to be more grown-up than I really am.

I know my parents show their love for me in different ways. Sometimes they are friendly and listen well. They also make a lot of sacrifices to give me better education, holidays and outings. At times when my parents show their love in ways I do not recognize easily.

They often seem annoyed, disappointed and dissatisfied with my performance in school. They are always urging me to make more acceptable friends and to seek more out of life. I despair sometimes when I see my parents' determination to make sure that I make more of my life than they have done. It is not easy to understand their attitude but I guess if I try to look deeper, I may begin to see the reasons for their behaviour. When my parents ask a lot of questions and even seem to be checking up on me, perhaps it is a sign that they care?

Meanwhile, I am still exploring and experimenting, still learning about life and about myself. I believe right now the most important thing to remember is that I am unique and I am only young once. So, I am going to enjoy my teenage years and make choices that will ensure a happy future for myself.

♥