Girls are Girls...

By far autumn is my favourite time of the year. Waking up to that cold crisp breeze and looking out your window and peering at the blood red sky marbled with tones of orange and yellow. It just makes me so happy. It is the time of the year where it is acceptable to leave the house in your favourite oversized woollen jumper wrapped up to the max in nans home knitted scarf. I just love it. Memories of coming home from school and eating a piping hot bowl of sausage casserole with that fresh bread you picked up from the baker that morning.

Autumn is the season where I feel calm, and is the season where I can for some reason just reflect on the wonders around me.

People fail to realise the wonders of the world which surround us. Watching the leaves trickle to the floor of that old tree across the road from my window reminds me of this amazing planet which we live on.

It seems to be that we live in this beautiful and tranquil country, yet the beauty of this planet cannot counteract with what life has to throw at you. I have to say I have grown up in a privileged family. With parents which over-flow you with ongoing love. Who provide for you in the toughest of times and who pull you back up when you fall over and graze your knee – they pick you up and tell you everything will be okay. But they constantly remind you that they love you and are there for you every step of the way. And I am so grateful.

You may think I am aimlessly babbling about autumn and thinking what the hell is she going on about. But although autumn is my favourite time of the year, it for me, is metaphorical for my life through the school years. Being a teenage girl is hard. You are trying to establish your clicks and those, ‘life-long’ friends who are going to be your bridesmaids at your wedding and throw you your baby shower, but it can be hard. Truthfully for me, this Never happened! In a way I always felt like a leaf on the end of a dying branch. I always knew at some point it would break and my friends would rid of me. When it came to the end of the school day and the end of summer, the leaf would die and fall to the floor. I was only wanted they wanted me, and when the seasons changed our friendship died and I unattached from the tree.

In the end I decided that passing school was the most important thing so I tried to knuckle down and get on with my work. However, it is hard in those science lessons when the teacher wants you to pair up for those experiments, in a group of three I seemed to be the last option. In PE getting chosen last was always my last fear. I am not going to lie to you and say that from these bad years I came out a stronger person – as I definitely did not. I struggled day to day with my anxiety, the fear of coming to school and getting ridiculed and it led me to take actions I regret. But from these actions I feel I have grown as a person and I am proud of the qualifications I achieved.

So to all the young girls out there, or all the mums of daughters who are frantically worrying about friendships. Girls are girls. Girls are nasty. You may not always find that friend you are looking for but be brave and be successful in yourself. Learn from your mistakes and try new things. Become the women you want to be. And like me you just need that handful of friends to get you through the day.

Learn to cope with your stress and anxiety. Take up a hobby or partake in physical exercise. Just make sure that you keep you safe and healthy. And remember there will always be someone out there for you.