[Dealing With Comparison] Everyone loves sunflowers. They’re bright and alive, sunny petals raised towards the skies. Eye-catching. Beautiful. The center of attention. Sunflowers are easily the stars of the garden, singing of their Creator’s glory. I wanted to be a sunflower—prominent and visible. But I felt like a daisy. [The Daisy Complex] I was small …
[The Weirdo] “You’re so weird!” My classmate blurted at me. Her friend shushed her. “You’re so mean.” The words didn’t stop my classmate from giggling. I stood before them with a plastic smile on my face. Play it cool, I told myself. My steps shuffled away from their snickers and grins. Yeah. Act cool. Like you’re totally unaffected. …
[Triggers] “*Ate, what should you do when you have a suitor?” my cousin asks. She’s pretty and smart. She rides the rollercoaster of high school flings, which I have zero experience in. She’s only a year younger than me, but she expects me to say something wise. All I say is something honest. “I don’t …
