I'm sure we have all felt that cold, dark feeling of loneliness at least one point in our lives. It's the feeling that you can get in a quiet room by yourself, or even in a crowd full of people. It's the feeling that can come along from being different than others, from feeling as if you have no one. 

There has been many times in my life when I have felt this way. Since I am more of an introvert, I'd rather have a few close friends than several friends. I'd rather stay at home and write rather than hang out with my friends all weekend. But because of this, and because of the fact that I am different from others my age, there has been several times when I have felt as if I have no one. When I have felt completely alone.

One of the hardest things about being a teenager is the pressure to fit in. To pretend to be someone you’re not. I came to this realization when I reached sixth grade, watching all of my former friends separate into cliques and obsess over makeup, boys, and drama. They became someone they weren't  and only because it seemed like the thing to do since they were no longer considered a little kid anymore.

It was also at this time when I came to the realization that I wasn't like the rest of them. After a while, I started to not feel right about this. I mean, shouldn't I have been like the rest of the girls? There had to have been something wrong with me.

I can hardly believe it’s almost time for fall and school has already started back. Even though I am a little disappointed at how quickly summer went by once again, I’m starting to get really excited about my favorite season that will be here next month. Each season that God gives us is a gift. Not only seasons that weather brings such as fall or spring, but also the seasons of change that God brings to us in our lives. 

The end of summer is always bittersweet for me. I start getting really excited for fall, but at the same time I wish that summer didn’t have to end. Isn’t that how it often is in life too? We sometimes act as if change is a bad thing. We like just staying put where we are in life. Why? Because we’re used to it. It’s familiar. It’s safe, and we feel like if there is a change—a switch of seasons—then we’ll miss the season that we’re currently in too much.