The piece below was written by a local middle school student who was struggling to feel accepted by her peer group. If you’ve ever felt this way, know that you are not alone!!! We all may go through days or seasons where we don’t feel like we belong. But it won’t be that way forever. Someday you will find the people who make you feel cared about and included. You are awesome and you deserve to experience true friendship.————

Lonely

I realized I might need a new friend group. Most of them know of my past and I am questioning whether or not they care. Other people dislike me for my past…so why are any of them different? They are people, and so are those that dislike me. Why not? Why not be a person who gets over some thing that someone has changed? Why is a question. So why not dislike me? It’s common amongst people. They know I‘ve changed. It doesn’t always seem like it, though.

I’m ALWAYS the one to start a convo. Nobody asks how I am or what’s on my mind. I ask to hang out. I pick up the phone, I made our group, I HAVE DONE SO MUCH! Why act as if I don’t matter?

Simply because, I don’t. I’m a weird, short, lonely, kid with a terrible past. But that doesn’t take away the fact that I AM HUMAN. Why ignore me? Why hate me? Why not believe I have changed, why not believe I’m nice? Why not believe I’ve grown? I have not many good friends but I am lonely. Friends are supposed to keep you happy. Not feel lonely. I think I need new friends.

Do you have a piece of writing you’d like to share with us? Send it to teencharge@wedgwood.org.