• I Never Imagined What Growing Up Would Mean

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I Never Imagined What Growing Up Would Mean

I never imagined what growing up would mean, I never thought I’d feel this much. At 14, you think life should only be happiness, joy, friends, laughter, and dreams. But quickly you understand what it’s like to lose someone you love, what it’s like when a friend fails you, and what it feels like when the love you give isn’t appreciated. And even though it sounds sad, I discovered things that changed the way I see life.

About Giving and Not Receiving

They say that at our age we don’t know what it means to love intensely. But I think we do: it’s intense, like nothing else matters. I’ve felt it many times, and it’s always the same story. I lost it — I lost that chance to love intensely… and to love myself intensely. I understood that love is also learning to love yourself.

About Friendships

I never thought that someone I shared laughter, conversations, and dreams with could become the reason I write, talk, and cry. But I also learned that my worth doesn’t depend on whether others know how to take care of me or not.

About Losing Someone

Losing my great-grandmother felt like everything ended for me. She was such an important person, and suddenly, she wasn’t there anymore. No one prepares you for that, no one prepares you for a “goodbye forever.” But today I know that real love doesn’t disappear: it lives in every memory and in everything I do thinking of her.

Reflection

I turned 14 and felt like I grew up too fast, like I’ve lived less life than I actually have. I lost things I’ll never get back, but I found a way to feel a little more alive than I really am. I learned that it hurts, but you survive. And that even in the worst moments, there’s something that keeps you moving forward: not for someone else, only for yourself.

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Change Hurts

Growing up means accepting that nothing is forever. Things change, sometimes without you even noticing, and even though it hurts, every change leaves you with something you’ll never forget. You have yourself, and that doesn’t change like everything else.

Learning to Love Myself

Self-love hasn’t been easy for me, but it’s the only thing that will help when no one else is there. Learning to love yourself is an act of love.

Asking for Help

You are not alone, and asking for help isn’t weakness — it’s a way of showing care for yourself. Sometimes admitting that you need it is a good thing.

Friendships That Remain in Silence

True friends stay even when there are no words, when silence is present, and when everything feels difficult.

Losing Means Growing

Losing someone or something important creates space for you to grow. At the same time, it leaves you empty — I guess it’s so you can learn to live with the scars that remain.

The Mistakes That Transform Us

No one is perfect, and every mistake is an opportunity to get to know yourself better and change for the better.

Silence

Sometimes silence hurts more than words, sometimes it’s even louder. But it can also be the space where you finally listen to yourself.

Moving Forward

Even on the saddest days, you wear a smile you don’t really want to show — not because you don’t want to, but because it isn’t real.

The Love That Never Leaves

True love doesn’t disappear with absence; it lives in the memories and in every act of kindness.

Keep Living

Growing up isn’t about feeling less — it’s about learning to live with everything you carry inside and keep moving forward, step by step.

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Ten Things I Wish I Had Known

1. That things won’t always stay the same, and it’s okay for them to change.

2. That even if you don’t like to prioritize yourself, you have to — self-love is just as important as the love you give to others.

3. That things stay with you; you just learn to live with them.

4. That it’s okay to want to ask for help, and you don’t have to feel bad about it.

5. That losing someone hurts, but the love that remains never dies.

6. That growing up isn’t about being “perfect,” it’s about learning and making mistakes.

7. That mistakes don’t define you — what matters is what you do after.

8. That silence sometimes makes more noise than anything else.

9. That everyone grows up, and that can’t be avoided.

10. That, even though it hurts, life goes on, and you’re stronger than you think.