Sandra Petty:  

It's always seems strange to me to look back to the years I spent at Wallowa, but ever so often I guess I just like to take that self-reflective journey, so I take out some of the old school pictures, read through some of the old journal notes from back then, visit a few profiles from fellow classmates, and let those distant memories dance in my head... I was a sad sort back then, not real popular, smart or funny, not real cute...and worse than anything, I had a serious complex about myself and was painfully shy. Though there's no regrets, disappointments, or guilt, I wouldn't go back to them days if I could - guess those lonely and painful years were lessons I only needed once. If there's any young lady or young man reading this now, who might possibly feel alone, misunderstood, forgotten, lacking the confidence in yourself, and maybe you might be painfully shy, depressed, alone in your head and heart too much...maybe the world seems too dark, too ugly for way too often...whatever your story is, I promise you that there is a beautiful and strong part of you that needs you to keep fighting the good fight for the sake of yourself, there are better days coming to you...it really is gonna be alright. It's hard to be the age you are right now, especially when there's missing support within the family, or worse, abuse of sorts...but you can and will endure and one day...the very best of yourself that's inside you now, will find the way out in the world...YOU are gonna be awesome. From this day forward, start being your own best friend. Be real, honest, brave, kind...to that person you want to become, because that deeply beautiful soul you are needs you to care. Most of the stuff that is important to you now, won't always be important. Most of the stuff that brings happiness now, won't always bring happiness. Most of the stuff that brings sadness/anger/fear now, won't always. It may feel like there's some unwritten law that says you should know how to handle everything, you should know the answers to things that are so foreign to you that you have no way to relate to them...but the truth is, you're doing just fine...don't spend too much time worrying about what you don't know...you'll get there when you get there, in perfect time. I spent a lot of my time at your age wishing someone would come along and make me happy, and as years passed when no one came, I spent a lot of time angry and hopeless...until one day I got an epiphany...The only person qualified to make you happy is the one staring at you in the mirror, and really - you have to love that person first. When that happens, and I mean when it REALLY happens, EVERYTHING is gonna cha...Expand for more