The end of the year is fast approaching, and many of us are scrambling to get ourselves together. Trying to get grades up, pass various exams so we can get into college, applying for college, amongst other stress-inducing things are plaguing our minds now. It feels weird, doesn’t it? It feels like only yesterday it was the first day of school, and then it was Christmas, and now it’s March. Spring break and prom will be here soon enough, and then it’ll be time for finals, and for seniors, graduation. It is definitely different than it was just a few months ago.

How far have we come since August? Well, to many of us, we don’t feel much different. Yet, I feel like, deep down we all have this anxiety building up. Like, we know that soon enough we’re going to have a ton of responsibilities, and we are going to have to be ready to go out into the world and become adults. But at the same time, we just want to enjoy our lives right now. We want to just be kids for as long as we can until that time comes. Understandable, right? It’s honestly getting to a point where we feel suffocated as if the adults who want to support us aren’t doing enough to be supportive.

We get it, parents, you want the best for us, you want us to be better and to make the best choices for ourselves. But every now and then, you have to let us take the reins for ourselves. Let us prove to you that we are capable of doing what’s best for ourselves. Don’t argue with us and try to force us into things we don’t want to do. Help us get to where we want to be. Help us get to a point where we are happy and making the right choices for ourselves. Don’t try to force it.

When we say we have stress, we mean it. When we say we are in pain or feel like we need something, we mean what we say. And it hurts when you all try to deny it and tell us to “walk it off” when we might not be able to do so. We are not always okay when we say we’re okay. We are humans, and we need you to be there for us. Help us be functioning human beings when we leave high school. We just want a little help for when we get out of here.