Losing a Loved One

Two years ago my grandma passed away. She was my best friend and when she was gone I had absolutely no idea what to do or how to deal with it. Then a few months later my aunt passed away. It was crushing to know that two of the most important women in my life were gone. I was a mess, I couldn’t eat, and I couldn’t sleep. I didn’t talk to anyone for almost two weeks. The pain of losing them made me sick. I went for months and months just being sad and not being myself. My grades began to slip and I lost weight from not eating enough. My friends and family were worried about me and always checked if I was ok.

After a while I began to accept they were gone though. I have gotten happier and now I live my life everyday trying to make them proud. It still hurts at times because they aren’t here with me but I know they will always be watching over me and caring about me. I want to tell you guys that no matter how much it hurts to lose someone you loved, it will get better.

When you lose someone it feels like a giant hole in your heart that you can’t fill. I promise you it will not feel like this forever. It will hurt for a while but at some point you will realize that even though they are gone, they are still in your heart. I’m not saying it won’t hurt still. There will be days where something will remind you of them and it will hurt a lot. It will get easier after a while. Those moments of sadness will become less frequent and you will be able to think about them with happy memories.

The pain will go away one day and you will be happy. Trust me; I was stuck in the mood of not knowing how to deal with anything. Once I finally opened up and talked to someone about how I felt I began to feel better. It’s never good to keep your emotions inside. You need to talk to someone about how you feel or it could all build up inside and become destructive. Find someone you trust and feel comfortable with and just tell them what is going on. You will feel a lot better. Losing people is hard, but you don’t have to go through it alone.

Love is Everywhere

Ah, the day of love. Or for some people, the day you realize how single you really are. Trust me, I’ve been there. It sucks seeing girls getting big teddy bears and flowers from their boyfriends while you’re sitting there unhappy. Well I’m here to tell you, you do not need to worry about any of it.

I will admit, having a valentine is really nice but relationships in high school are way over rated. Right now you should be worrying about your grades and thinking about the future. Not about some boy who you may or may not stay with when you graduate. You do not need a boyfriend to make you happy. You need to make yourself happy before you worry about making someone else happy. I’m still trying to learn that lesson myself.

This year for Valentine’s Day, how about try celebrating with your friends?  It’s not all about romance; it’s about celebrating the people you love. I love my friends so much and I want to show them how much I appreciate them for being there for me. They chose to be there for you, now show them that you are there for them too. Boyfriends will come and go but your friends will always have your back. Don’t take them for granted.

A few years ago I was really upset during Valentine’s Day because everyone around me was getting gifts from boys or friends. I felt really left out and I told my dad about it. Later that night my dad came home with a card and a gift bag. He handed them to me and said “you will always be my valentine”. He gave me candy and a little stuffed bear. He really made my day and helped me realize that there are tons of people out there who care about me. Another group of people to recognize during the holiday is your family. They are the people who will care about you no matter what. They have had to put up with you for how many years, now it’s your turn to show how much you appreciate them.

Basically, for valentines this year, don’t just think about the happy couples around you. Think about the people in your life who truly care about you. You don’t have to be in love to be happy, especially as a teenager. Have a great Valentine’s Day and remember love is everywhere.

Things to Do in the Winter

It’s getting colder and colder here in Iowa and everyone is feeling the winter blues. The cold chill is seeping into everyone’s bones and it’s not fun. We need to do something to fix this. Instead of being stuck inside bored out of your mind, here are some ideas on things to do.

Fun ideas to make your winter fantastic:

·         Sledding

·         Build a snowman

·         Go skiing or snowboarding

·         Go ice skating

·         Have a movie marathon

·         Build a fort (inside or out)

·         Snowball fight

·         Shovel the driveway (someone has to do it)

·         Go ice fishing

·         Stay inside and read a book

·         Go shopping with friends

·         Have a cuddle sesh with your best friend

·         Go snow tubing

·         Do some cleaning (I know, bleh, but again someone has to do it)

·         Go to a movie

·         Have a date night

·         Go bowling

·         Go to an indoor water park

·         Make some hot chocolate

·         Have a winter photoshoot

·         Play ice hockey

·         Go snowshoeing

·         Plan a Valentine’s Day party

·         Eat some candy

·         Go winter camping

·         Go snowmobiling

·         Learn a new recipe

·         Take up a new hobby

·         Cuddle up in a blanket and take a nap

Whatever you decide to do this winter, just try to have fun. It always sucks to have the blues during the cold weather. Too many people get depressed from the cold and the crappy weather. It’s always fun to just head outside with some friends and figure some crazy thing out to do. I have a friend who decided to make a ramp and jump over a picnic table while snowboarding. It didn’t work very well but he had a lot of fun. Take some risks, do something crazy, it’s better to make memories now. Wouldn’t you rather say “man that was fun!” instead of “what if I had done this?”? You don’t want to miss out on anything just because you were scared. Even if you’re afraid, anything is possible.

Furry Friends

Pretty much everyone I know has or has had a pet at some point in their life. Having a pet is a big responsibility but so worth it. You will have a friend and companion even when life is not going too well. Pets are the ultimate companions. The best thing you can do in life is give a little animal a home and make a friend for life.

In my opinion the best pet you can have is a dog. They are loyal, playful and just here to love you unconditionally. I have a dog named Whitey (yes, he is a white dog; I know it’s not very creative). He is a bichon frise

, Maltese mix and he’s the most lovable dog you will ever meet. He has gotten very old now though. He is almost 14 years old and it is definitely showing. He has diabetes, he is blind, and he has a urinary tract infection. My dog may be an absolute mess but I love him so much no matter what. He has been there for me through everything since I was 3. I could play with him, cuddle him and just have him there to keep me company. Even though now he can’t get around very well and can get in the way sometimes, he’s still a huge part of my family.

Getting a pet can be a great way to teach kids the values of responsibility. They will have to learn to feed them, walk them and just take care of them. I feel getting something small would work better for a younger kid, like a goldfish. Once they are older and have shown they can take care of things, you can get them a puppy or a cat. Some kids may be allergic though so you could always get them a guinea pig or a lizard. There are tons of crazy pets you can get, just depends on what you like.

I believe having a pet is the best thing you can do. You can have a companion for life and unconditional love. Like I said dogs are the way to go. But hey, it’s all up to what you’re interested in and what you think will be a great pet.

Bullying

Right now I am watching The People’s Choice Awards and Ellen DeGeneres just won the humanitarian award. I just want to say she truly deserves this award for everything she has done. She has made so many peoples dreams come true and has helped so many charities. She is an amazing woman who just wants to make people happy. This world would be a much better place if we could all just share the same values as her and be nice.

In one of her shows she spoke about the epidemic of teen bullying in America. I would just like to talk on this subject for a second. At our age, for some reason, we thrive on making others feel like they are worthless. It is absolutely awful to think that there are people out there who have been bullied so badly that they think the only solution is to take their own lives. I have many friends who have been in that situation and it’s terrifying. They don’t realize how many people there are out there who care about them so much and need them here. All they can think about is that mean comment they heard in the hall or the nasty text message their so called friend sent them. People do not realize how much one small comment can destroy a person. You can say a thousand compliments to one person but one mean comment will be the only thing they can think about. It’s scary how much of an impact we can have on each others lives. We can make or break a person with one tweet.

That’s another topic; cyber-bullying. It is so simple for someone to hide behind a computer screen or a phone and send awful messages to someone. We don’t have to see the reaction and hurt on the persons face when they see what we say. We say awful things without even thinking about it and I’m tired of it.

We need to become the generation that ends bullying. I know we all know how to be kind to each other, why can’t we do it? It is time for us all to become kind and encouraging not mean and nasty. Don’t you guys think it’s time to change the way we treat others? I am absolutely sick of hearing of more and more people taking their lives because some horrible people out there do not know what it is to be nice, it’s time to end it.