Things Not Said Aloud

You can’t tell me kids don’t have it hard, too. Sure, our struggles are different and almost nothing compared to the average adult struggling to pay taxes on time and making payments before the end of the month, but our struggles are still valid and our struggles are very real to many of us, regardless of how others may perceive them. I and many others like me will face many hardships where we are. These hardships range from stressing over next Friday's quiz or asking that cute boy for his Snapchat to worrying over prom dates or submitting applications and resumes before deadlines. At least that's what we all want you and want many of our parents, friends, and doctors to think and see.

The truth is we deal with so much more than we get credit for; we have identity crises and we deal with a significant amount of mental health issues too. A lot of us are not happy or not as happy as we’d like to be and we struggle daily to somehow show that. Many of us deal with stress financially as well, like many adults. We know we have to get a job, we know we have to buy a car, we know applications and projects have to be turned in before deadlines. We know, we know, we know, it's an endless cycle of knowing how much we hurt inside and knowing who hides behind what masks.

How is it that we teens who are "immature" and "irresponsible" can see each other's pain and hold each other's hands in silence to mourn the loss of our freedom? We have been told as kids to not worry so much and to not care about what others think, yet as we grow older the voices who once resonated within us to be carefree, now resonate within us to watch. "Watch what you wear," "watch what you eat," "watch what you say," "watch what you're doing," “watch where you’re going,” and again, we know. We know.

Yes, some of us may not but you ushering us to hurry up and be adults is not going to make us learn anything. We do not learn by being forced to sit for seven hours to "learn" about things we will not use in the real world. We do not learn by being forced to choose a career plan at such young ages. We do not learn to be responsible or mature by being scolded for being playful and having fun. This world is not cold yet many scolding us for joking around makes this world seem so much duller and colder than it really is. That is not our fault, it’s not anyone's fault. We get called "ungrateful" for having depression but we did not choose to be that way. We get called "dramatic" for having anxiety disorders as if we brought it upon ourselves. We get called "lazy" and "attention seekers" for having any mental illness that does not physically hinder us, but they do. There's so much we battle on a daily basis, both external and internal. Whatever anyone may go through, no one is alone. We all stand with each other in silence and we feel each other's pain. This isn’t just for us teenagers—this is for every young adult and every experienced adult, both struggling and thriving. My words to you may mean nothing because of my young age, but to the ones who need this, this goes out to you. You are valid regardless of what others say, your problems are real, and we all deserve the help we crave without judgement. From a single scared high school student to another student or adult, thank you for standing where you are today and being you. You are brave, and that’s enough.