Youthfulness

So I'm reading this Victorian novel for honors English called Of Human Bondage. It's actually alright. I stumbled across this quote the other night and I re-read it five times because it just hit me so hard.

"It is an illusion that youth is happy, an illusion of those who have lost it; but the young know they are wretched, for they are full of the truthless ideals which have been instilled into them, and each time they come in contact with the real they are bruised and wounded."

Seriously, the age we are at right now may be the "best times of our lives." But they're also horribly confusing and painful. We are caught between two extremely different worlds - the carefree world of childhood and the responsibilities of adulthood. We are neither. We are right in the middle, and it's hard. We grow up surrounded by happily ever after stories, being mean isn't allowed, learning to play nice, and knowing to always do the right thing. This is the age where we realize that most stories don't end happily, mean people who play dirty are everywhere, and we aren't sure of the right thing anymore. And it's hard. I would love to live in an idealistic world, but unfortunately that's not how it works. Especially the world of highschool.

Really, all I can do to ease this pain for myself is surround myself with people who love me. Which I think I have done a fabulous job of. Even though my best friend on the planet is over 2000 miles away from me, I can feel her love from the opposite side of the country. Even without her here, I am okay, because I have the best friend in Arizona I could ever ask for. He is the only one in the world who I can trust completely. He is the only person who I feel won't judge me, and I know I can be a shameless mess around him. I am eternally grateful for Stef and Dillon.

So... Cheers to these highschool years. Mmm? :)