I Once Wanted to Prove Myself to My Friends
And that’s the stupidest thing I’ve ever done.
When I was in high school, I had five close friends. We studied, hung out, went shopping — we almost did everything together.
But as someone says, “those you love hurt you the most,” there were times they said and did things really hurt me.
When I was slow to understand a story, they laughed out loud, making me feel like they were mocking my slowness.
When I acted unwisely, they told me I should have been smarter.
When I got lower grades than others, they said I had no talent.
I thought that I was inherently flawed. That something inside me was broken. That I should accept what they said and live with it.
I kept all of those bad feelings inside my heart. I told myself I’d stop talking to them. I’d prove them wrong and make them admire me.
Luckily, I didn’t do that.
Today, they’re my soulmates. We’re so close that sometimes I think we’re sisters by blood.
Looking back on those days when I tried to justify myself, I realize that it was an awful decision.
I was obsessed with what they said and accidentally created a competition for myself. I…
