One Year Later

Life as a middle schooler is hard. Sixth grade is a shock to the girl who was a big fish in a small pond, popular with the students she has been friends with since kindergarten. Especially, for someone who is starting at a new school where she only knows those she met during the summer bridge program. Add in having to open her locker with a combination lock and ride a bus to and from school for the first time ever and her mind will be blown and it will take a while to adjust and actually like school again.

But, then let her and her best friend of 6 years have a knockdown drag out fight that lasts a few months and makes an everlasting break in her heart and middle school becomes unbearable. She struggles to be happy and to even smile.

She learned to lean on new friends who suddenly understood her more than anyone ever had because now they were all dealing with growing pains and lost relationships and middle school woes. She grew and she changed and she blossomed. Even though, it was hard and heartbreaking, she did not let it completely break her.

She misses her best friend and the relationship they had, but has realized that people change and life is hard, but she can be joyful and smile again.

And she has.

She has started to sing and laugh and be social again. Going to birthday parties, hanging out at the mall, having sleepovers and inviting friends over to our house.

It does this Momma's heart good to see her daughter, who is quickly becoming a young woman, to surround herself with friends that she will probably have for a lifetime.