As I am getting closer and closer to being a “grown-upa��, I have begun to realize all the struggles that growing up brings. Some people mature and others do not. The worries of the real world bring lessons to help guide one through life. I have started realizing issues now become more adult. The one true thing that has gotten me through challenging times is my faith.

High school is the “first testa�� to real life. It allows more responsibility for aging teens but also keeps you under the roof of your parents for guidance. Some people choose to turn down the wrong road just because those things are “funa�� or to be “coola��. Throughout high school, friends change, whether it is for better or for worse is for you to decide.

People grow apart and their relationships dissolve. People start getting involved in troubling things and end up having to make tough decisions. Imagine someone being your best friend for three years but now the two of you don’t talk anymore. Time changes. Actions change. People change.

This past year has made me realize that bad things do happen and situations get harder as you age. This past year has been very challenging for me with some very brutal situations and it is okay. It is okay to acknowledge the slow and sneaky sadness that creeps into our hearts following hardships. It is okay to acknowledge struggling. It is all okay. It eventually will all be okay.

There is a light at the end of the tunnel, but you need to figure out what can help you reach that light. For me, that light was my faith. Being able to pray and always have someone to talk to has been tremendous. I would not be able to work through some of the encountering problems that I have had this year if it wasn’t for my relationship with Christ. It is sometimes hard to remember that there is always someone that loves you and will be there for you. I am so thankful for my faith and where it has brought me today. Find a guiding hand in life to help you through and don’t take it for granted. Bad times turn to good and sadness turns to happiness. It all just takes time.