Sunday, March 7, 2010

Free to Be Me by Francesca Battistelli

First off, I'd like to apologize for this being a whole week late. It's been a bit hectic with homework and life the past couple weeks. Don't hate me.
Secondly, I've decided not to name this blog until I get done with it because I can't think of anything good at the moment.
I just spent the weekend at Gatlinburg as a highschool leader for middle school students in my youth group. Best weekend I've had in a very, very long time. (Shout out to Noonday!) The basis of the message this weekend was about three things: friendship, integrity, and individuality. Ironically enough, my little sister (Mallory is becoming increasingly popular on this blog...) has been struggling with these very three things for a couple of years now. Last weekend, it got really bad though. It's one of the reasons I didn't blog. I was too frustrated to focus. Basically, it was a whole He said-She said scandal, and ended up cooling off. But Mal was hurt, bad. Over something completely blown out of proportion. And I had to watch. And I'm sick of it.
Guys, there are certain things that fundamentally make you YOU. Things that should never change for anyone. For example: I do not drink. I do not smoke. I will remain abstinent until marriage. I am a proud follower of Christ. These decisions make me who I am and represent what I believe, and they're not changing for anything. Sorry.
Sure, I'm a bit crazier with some friends than I am with others. Some work me up, others calm me down. That doesn't mean I'm a different person with them. Different people affect you in different ways. But you do NOT, EVER, change who you are. You think people can't tell? You think they can't see what you're doing? You're not fooling anyone, not even yourself. Come on, guys.
Good lord, I sound hyped up. Forgive me, this is a subject I feel strongly about. Only because I've lived through it. I've lost many a friend by remaining who I was. It breaks my heart, but I know it was the right thing to do. Besides, friends don't love you because they're blind to you flaws. They love you inspite of them.
Aimee's my best friend. Not because she has a car to drive me places, not because her house always has ice cream, but because she and I are twin souls. I honestly can't explain it. On the outside, we're complete opposites. She's athletic. I'm....yeah. She's crazy smart at school. I try. She's shy around new people. I am most definitely not. She loves basketball. I love music. I sing. She...yeah. (Love you Aims =]) But when we hang out, none of that matters. Because we share the same values. We're always bringing each other up. We know who each other are. And we love each other. We could sit around all day, doing nothing, (which we often do), and have a fantastic time. That's the kind of friend you want. The kind that knows you. Not the you that that others may think you to be. The you that you are.
One thing I really admire about Aims is her integrity. No matter who she's around, she sticks to what she believes in. I've seen her do it. She speaks quietly, but firmly, and people get the message. I pray for that strength every day. I pray that if God could give me that strength, my little sister could see it and strive for the same things.
The world is not a positive place these days. Just a few months ago, my mother was at WalMart with my little sister. Mallory, who was looking adorable by the way, was most likely talking to my mom about getting some new clothes. Just then, a girl walked by. She gave Mallory the once over, scrunched her face in disgust, and continued to giggle with her friends about whatever was wrong with my sister. My mom looked at Mallory and asked if she knew the girl from school. "No Mom," Mallory replied, "I've never seen her before in my life. That's just how girls are."



Are you kidding me? A random girl Mal's never even seen before just writes her off completely while walking down the aisle in a freakin WalMart? And Mallory was hardly fazed, she even used an excuse.
The saddest part was the fact that this girls mother was with her. And she didn't do anything. She probably wasn't even paying attention.
Agfa%zgbjkNX*^x9xBasidyfdbhe7af4w9. Excuse me, I just became so angry that I didn't know how to put it into real words, so I made some up. I've just discovered that blogs are a lovely place to rant.

In short, find friends who support you for who you are. There's no way on God's green earth that you'll make it through life without them. If it sounds difficult, I'll tell you how to do it. Theres one easy step.

HOW TO FIND AWESOME FRIENDS THAT LOVE YOU FOR YOU!
Step 1: Be yourself. Others will gravitate towards you.


TADA!
This was a fun blog. I think I'll go watch the Oscars now.
Hey Aims, I thought of a title. Its for you. Thanks for everything (:

PS- I love you, Mallory. Show people who you are. They won't be able to help but feel the same way that I do.

No comments:

Post a Comment