Today we have Ashley from The Shine Project I am so excited to have Ashley post a "Because She Does". Her blog is very inspiring and her post today is just as inspiring. Enjoy!
Hello pretty, pretty people! My name is Ashley, and I'm from The Shine Project. Today I want to share a little bit about a woman who has changed my life.
High school had a way of bringing out my insecurities. If there was ever a time that I felt myself wanting to shrink into the shadows, that was it. I tried my best to mask my shyness, was constantly on diets to become skinnier, and went to a school where everyone put on a show to out perform everyone else. People were fake, and I was burned. I don't know why, but girls have a way of getting jealous easily. Over clothes, hair, because boys give you attention, or beacause your pinky nail has a little piece of glitter on it that they wish was theirs. The snoody suburb of Phoenix that I grew up in (still love it though) had an out of this world ability of deflating any confidence that you could muster up in the midst of this rat race.Freshman year of high school, everyone is trying to fit in and do things that make them seem cool so they can have more friends. Somehow I became accepted into the cool crowd, but I knew that none of them were actually good friends. Except for one of them. Me and this girl became really good friends, spent a lot of time together, and I was so excited that I had finally found someone to bond with. Then a boy liked me. A boy that she thought was cute. She did the things that girls do and got jealous. Jealousy turned into malicious rumors, and malicious rumors turned into countless tears that stained my pillows.
No matter who was saying what about me, or how insecure I felt, there was always one person who thought that I was greatest. I'll never forget the first day of school my Junior year. Most of my friends were seniors so they got to leave school early, and my friends who weren't had a different lunch than me. My sister was a Freshman that year, and was excited to see her friends for the first time in months. We waited in line together for our food, and went our separate ways. The only things was, I didn't know where to go. I became overwhelmed with the feeling of feeling like such an outsider, because I had no one to sit with. I walked around trying to just pass the time, and then felt myself wanting to cry. All of a sudden I felt someone grab my arm. It was my sister. She had saw me, left her group of friends with her lunch in hand and said, "Hey Ash! Will you sit out here with me and we can eat lunch together?" I had never felt so relieved.
My little sister is my best friend. As I've gone through "friendships" that were designed to ruin me, as I've been used, lied to, and lied about, there's always been one person who's there. It's her. When she moved two months ago to Las Vegas, I cried almost everyday leading up to when she left, because I knew a big piece of me would be gone.
I know a lot of people. I have a lot of aquaintances that I love to see, talk to, and catch up with every so often. But because of my track record with friends, I don't have many close ones. You know, the kind that really know you. Most of my best friends growing up were boys (less drama), but when you get married, those relationships have to change. But despite the relationships I've gained and lost, there's one that has always, and will always be there. I wouldn't trade my sister for all the friends in the world.
* These stories can lift one another and if you allow it- you can be as well. We would love to hear from you. Send your "Because She Does" post to shelbyandbrandon@gmail.com
3 comments:
What a beautiful post Shelby. Ashley I hear you. High school has a way of either dragging you down or lifting you up. It all depends on the friendships you cultivate. I was recently release as a Young Women's councilor and saw how diffucult it was for some of the girls. And sadly it is something that can haunt you all your life.
We had a couple of young women who really shone. They would embrace those who were new to church, even bringing friends who weren't of our faith to various activites.
By this girls setting an example it allowed others who were shy or not as outgoing to glow. Sadly they have moved on, but the experiences they shared lives on in our ward and with our young ladies.
It's true friends come and go and are sometimes cruel but family is around forever and always will have your back. That was fun to learn about your neat sis.
My 2 sisters are my best friends too!!They are such georgous women!
we are always there for each other under any circumstances!!
Hugs
Cathy
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