This post is going to be a little different from what I normally do because it’s going to be about……………PROM!!!

Yes, I had the opportunity to go to a Homeschool prom at an actual ballroom last Friday.  It was absolutely amazing.  But this post would be very short if I left it at that, so, I’m going to tell you the full story.

                My prom story started last July, believe it or not.  And this part is going to be the most difficult part to tell, so let me just get it over with.  As you may or may not already know, I was in a relationship at the time.  A very short relationship, I might add, but still.  Anyway, the relationship basically started with him asking me to prom.  Not like those promposals you see on Instagram, but while we were standing in line for lemonade at the fair.  If I had been smarter back then, I probably would have recognized the fact that 1) it was the middle of July and prom wasn’t until March, and 2) that he just randomly asked me while I was in line to order lemonade.

                But no, I didn’t see the warning signs like I should have.  Although I did sort of know that the prom thing wouldn’t happen and that it would all pass.  As you can see, I was right, and by the time prom came around, I was dateless.

The dateless part doesn’t bother me at all.

                And neither does not going with that particular guy (I’ve met a lot of guys in my life span, but none quite as bad as this one.  There are a few other words I would use to describe him, but of course I won’t say them here).

                The part that bothered me is that once again, someone said they would do something and didn’t follow through with it.  I hate that.  I absolutely hate it when people do that.  So thus, on the eve of prom, there I was on the floor surrounded by tissues and shaking so hard I could barely breathe.  This is not an exaggeration at all.  I was on the floor crying, the night before one of the best days in my life (and I hope to god you’re reading this.  You know who you are.  These words won’t ever do justice to how let down I felt). 

                So if there are any guys reading this, or anyone for that matter, I have one thing to say to you: don’t say you’ll do something and then not follow through with it. Please.  Don’t let anyone down the way I was let down.  I’m the kind of person who expects you to do what you said you’d do.  If you say you’re going to buy me an ice cream cone, I expect you to buy me an ice cream cone.  If you say you’re never going to talk to me again, I don’t expect to hear from you.  It’s a simple concept.

                Anyway, back to the story.  So with all dark emotions back in their cage, let’s move on to a brighter side of the story.  I just thought that part was important, because those feelings played a huge part in how I felt about going to prom after that hurricane of a relationship ended.  And now I’m going to move on with the story just like I moved on from that part of my life.

                The dress.  I think that’s what I’ll talk about next (I’m trying to do this in order).  So for everyone asking, I got my dress online from Macy’s (which by the way, is one of my favorite stores ever).  I was a little sad that I didn’t really get to go “prom dress shopping”, but at the same time it was great that I literally ordered it and it came within a couple of days and I didn’t have to spend hours trying to find one in a store.  It was also really cheap as well (I think it ended up being around $40-$50 with coupons that we had).  It fit perfectly, and the only thing we had to do was take it up a bit (I’m very short, so even the smallest size was long on me).  But overall, I was really happy with it and it didn’t give me any problems on prom night.

One of the best parts of getting ready was getting to go get my hair done at a salon.  I’d never been to a salon to get my hair done before (it costs a good penny), but it turned out great and didn’t fall out at all during the whole evening!  The only bad part about it was taking out about a million bobby pins at one in the morning.  

So on the day of prom, I met the group I went with at my friend’s house to take some pictures.  Taking the pictures was not a lot of fun because there were so many parents trying to take pictures at the same time and it’s never any fun standing so close to people.  But we did end up getting some good shots like this one

And then we were on our way to prom.  Forty-five minutes later we arrived at the ballroom.  An actual ballroom.  This place was absolutely gorgeous, and just to give you an idea of how gorgeous it was, here’s a picture (which doesn’t even do it justice at all).  By the way, this isn’t a photo from prom, it’s just a picture I found on their Facebook page because I don’t have any good pictures of the whole room.

When we first got there, we had to register and find our name on a place card and then take our place cards to our reserved table.  I got to sit with some new and pretty awesome people at my table, so shout out to them!  Anyway, so after everyone got there, the people in charge went over a few guidelines and things like that.  Then we prayed and the waiters and waitresses brought out the salad.  It was a three course meal which included a very fabulous desert.

After dinner, I went to the restroom which was really disappointing because they decided to start playing the music, and sadly I missed the cupid shuffle.  When I got back “I Gotta Feeling” by the Black Eyed Peas was playing and that’s how I knew it was going to be a good night (pun intended of course).  And after not even five minutes of dancing, one of the straps on my heels broke and so I couldn’t wear my shoes for the rest of the night (which turned out to be okay because most of the girls had their shoes off anyway).  It was great except for the painful blister I have on my toe that is still there a week later. 

                The music was fantastic (even though the majority of the songs I didn’t know), including the live Celtic music band that played some classical music such as the Grand March and the Virginia Reel.  For the most part, the steps to those dances were simple and were easy to catch on to and were very fun once everyone got the hang of it.  There was also a DJ that played some more familiar songs to dance to, and of course a few slow songs.  During those, I took the opportunity to give my feet a rest and take it all in.  I watched everyone dance, some with their dates and a few with their best friends (oh and I did dance with one of the guys in my group so that was cool).

                One of the greatest things about prom was the fact that everyone got along.  If there was someone there you didn’t like, that feeling of dislike was forgotten and you were friends for just those few hours.  It’s really hard to hate people when you’re at prom, and it was fun to meet people there that you didn’t know before.  Everyone was nice and everyone was happy.  

                Another thing about prom: you don’t realize how late it is and how tired you are until you leave.  I had trouble staying awake on the ride home and there was a lot less talking compared to the ride there.  Also, you realize it’s been hours since you ate and when you get home, you set out a bag of pretzels which will never be opened because you’re too tired to eat.

It’s no fairytale story, but to me prom was a magical night that could not have been more amazing.  There's no better words to describe it.  And hopefully next year I’ll have an even better story to tell. 

Thank you:

To my parents who bought my ticket

To my grandmother who bought my dress

To my other grandmother who paid for my hair to be perfect

To Joe and Carrie Dile for driving me to and from prom

And to the lovely people I had the pleasure of spending the evening with

There’s something that’s been bugging me the past few days that I want to talk about.  I’m pretty much an open book so I figured what better place to talk about it than here with you.  Obviously I never use names when I talk about personal situations like this, so I’m not trying to call anybody out or put them in an awkward position.  Just thought I’d mention that.

                So there’s this guy (I swear that’s how almost all of my stories start lol) that I have never met in person but I know who he is through mutual friends (you know those kind of people?  I have a lot of them).  Anyway, so he friended me online and I didn’t think anything of it until he sent me a message the next day that said something like:

“hi I don’t think I know you but you’re really pretty and I thought I would just tell you that and I wouldn’t mind talking to you”.

Awwww.

No.

                My first reaction was what most girls my age would have thought: aww a guy thinks I’m cute.  How nice!  But then after I let it sink in, I didn’t feel as flattered as I maybe should have.  Of course it’s a good feeling whenever someone compliments you, but after we started talking, I just couldn’t shake the feeling that he only wanted to talk to me because he saw my picture and thought I was pretty.  It wasn’t a very flattering feeling anymore…….

                I hate how our culture glorifies the way you look, how much makeup you wear, and the clothes you have on.  Especially for women.  It’s easy for a man to see a picture of a famous model in lingerie and think “wow she’s hot”, and vice versa.  What if she wasn’t wearing makeup?  What if he didn’t have a six pack?  Would you still feel that attraction to them?  Probably not. 

                It’s a normal thing for humans to be attracted to other humans based on their outward looks and appearance.  And I’m definitely not saying it’s wrong.  If you’re in a relationship, you should always tell your partner how good they look.  It could make someone’s day if you compliment them (as unflattered as I feel now, I will admit that it did make me feel good about myself).  What I’m saying is that it shouldn’t be the only thing that attracts you to them.

                Let me present a question: do you believe in love at first sight?  There is no right or wrong answer to this question.  It all depends on what your opinion is.  For me personally, I’m going to have to say no because I just don’t think you can instantly love someone.  Maybe it’s because it hasn’t happened to me, but I don’t think I can love someone I just met.  If that were the case, I have a feeling that relationship wouldn’t go well after a couple of days (the only reason I say that is because there was one time in my life where I thought love at first sight was real, but now I’ve learned that it’s just another fairy tale myth and does not end happily).  But maybe it does happen to some people.  I can only speak for myself.

                As a Christian, I also have morals just like any Christian should when choosing a partner.  When I was younger, I didn’t have any personal boundaries and I regret that now.  I just let guys walk all over me because I was afraid of making them angry.  When I met the guy I mentioned earlier, I told him that I just couldn’t jump into a relationship with someone I met less than a week ago.  I told him that we would have to be really good friends first, and I would need to feel more comfortable with him.  And also that if he really does like me, he will wait until I am ready to take on the commitment of a relationship.  I’m sixteen years old.  I don’t want to mess around anymore.  I’ve had my fair share of reckless decisions in a relationship, but I want something real.  Something that will last.  I can’t know that in a week.  It takes time.

                Many people these days (especially young people) tend to rush into relationships quickly because they think they know the person enough to love them.  And while I can’t speak for those people, I can say that they are nowhere near close enough to knowing them enough to love them.  Most married couples are still learning new things about each other every day!  It doesn’t happen fast.  That’s why relationships don’t last when you’re young.  And there are some people that just want to date to date.  It doesn’t matter if they like the other person or not, they will date them anyway.  I find these types of situations really sad because there is a match for everyone and they might never meet the right person if they mess around with people who don’t really care for and love them.

                Being in and waiting for the perfect relationship takes patience.  If there’s one piece of good advice I have from my experience, it would be to be patient.  A relationship tests your patience every day.  Sometimes you just want to throw a chair at the other person and it takes every bit of patience you have not to.  It’s normal.  Couples argue all the time over stupid little things, and usually it’s because you or the other person have lost your patience.  And if you’re not in a relationship, it will take all the patience you have not to just date any person that comes along.   But if you’re patient, God will place the perfect person in your life at just the right time.

                Well friends, that’s all I have to say for now.  I could ramble for a long time about relationships, but I’ll save that for another day.  As a reminder to look not just for someone with a pretty face, but someone who’s beautiful on the inside as well, I’m going to insert one of my favorite songs down below!

 Fall in love with someone with a beautiful soul!<3

Think of the last time you held a baby.  Maybe it was your own child, grandchild, niece, or nephew.  Whoever it was, just think about it for a minute.  Now think about that child being taken out of your life.  Think about that baby not having a laugh or cry.  Not even a heartbeat.  Imagine a world without a baby’s laughter.  What would it be like? 

                In the year 2014, approximately 926,240 abortions took place in just the U.S. alone.  That’s thousands of lives being taken away before they even have a voice.  Thousands of innocent babies that could have had a whole life ahead of them.  In my opinion, killing anything with a heartbeat is murder.  No exceptions.  Not in any case should it be legal to murder.  Whether you can see the life being taken or not, it is still a life. 

                Some women will state that their pregnancy was an “accident”, though I think it would be unfair to consider consensual sex an “accident”.  If it was, then it would be an accident that could have been easily prevented and by no means am I referring to birth control.  I don’t believe in birth control, or any other form of what people these days consider “safe sex”.  You know when sex is safe?  When you have a ring on your finger, a roof over your head, and a job to provide you with the finances to care for a child.  It’s as simple as that.  Until you have those things, all it takes is the word “no”.

                But what about circumstances such as rape?  Surprisingly, only 5% of the 957 women who provided a reason for their abortion were rape victims.  That’s a small amount compared to the 25% who said they just weren’t ready for a child.  But again, I bring back my point that it should never be legal to murder under any circumstances.  Whether you were ready or not, killing is never the answer to your problem.

                There is, however, a healthier alternative for both the pregnant woman and the unborn child.  There are many couples in the world that would love to have a child but are physically unable to because of diseases such as Chlamydia that cause sterility in both male and female reproductive organs.  This is why it may be a wise choice for pregnant women to put their baby up for adoption after it is born.  Young children usually get adopted quickly and go to a loving home.  Doesn’t that sound like a much better alternative to abortion?

                Considering that most women said that they just weren’t ready for a child, ultimately the best decision would be to not even make it a possibility.  It’s that easy, and the safest, healthiest way to prevent pregnancy and women will never have to even face the decision of abortion.  As I stated before, taking birth control can minimize the chances of pregnancy but it is not 100% guaranteed, and often includes side effects such as headaches, weight gain, and can even increase the chances of a heart attack.  Not to mention that forgetting to take it will not allow it to work at all.

                As we are entering 2017, the numbers of pregnancies of young women ages 15-19 are growing, which means that the numbers of teen abortions are growing as well.  While the abortion rates are the highest in women ages 20-25, teen abortion and unplanned pregnancy is still an issue.  Most teens will drop out of school and never graduate because of parenthood.  It’s saddening to think that young girls just entering High School will have to raise a child (most of the time without the support of the father of the child).  If the awareness of abortion and teen pregnancy can reach girls and women before they have to face the issue, just think of how many abortions can be prevented just by talking about it.

                In most of the stories I’ve heard about women who chose to abort their unborn child, most of them regretted the decision after it was too late.  Then for the rest of their lives they had to live with the guilt of killing an innocent life.  Besides guilt, abortion can also result in depression for the woman who will live the rest of her life remembering what she did.  No one wants to live like that, so why even make it a choice?  And for the women, why make that decision?

                One thing many people argue is that abortion protects women’s rights.  Well, what about the rights of the unborn child who doesn’t even have a voice to make his or her own choices?  Shouldn’t that be considered as well?  Wouldn’t the rights of a baby be just as, or even more, important as the woman’s rights? 

                If there’s one positive thing that comes from unplanned pregnancy, it’s the fact that it teaches the importance of dealing with consequences.  As humans we all make mistakes, and we must deal with the consequences that come from making that mistake.  If abortion is just a way to prevent a consequence, then it would be okay to assume that making that mistake wasn’t a big deal because you’ve gotten around the consequence.  How are we ever going to learn from our mistakes if there aren’t any consequences to deal with?

                To sum things up, abortion is wrong, killing an innocent life is wrong, and anyone who supports abortion needs to spend a few Sundays in church.  It’s sickening to think that there are so many supporters of this hurtful crime, and hopefully one day we will live in a world where it is no longer legal to murder an unborn life.

                First of all, hello, yes I know it’s been awhile.  Sometimes life just throws a lot of things at you at once and it’s hard to handle them all.  I’d just like to say that I’m sorry for not posting as often, but I do plan on continuing this for as long as I possibly can.  I may not post every week like I originally said, but there will still be posts!  Also, if you’re interested in writing or co-writing a post, please contact me with your ideas!!  I’d love to have some help!  With all that being said, here’s the real post:

“In the end, we only regret the chances we didn’t take, the relationships we were afraid to have, and the decisions we waited too long to make”

                That, my friends, is a quote from the amazing Lewis Carroll and has a lot to do with what I want to talk about today.  A good friend recently told me, “we’ve all had bad things happen to us in our past.  But letting that cloud your judgement  about someone new and interesting would be really unfair to you and the other person”.  And unfortunately, I am guilty of doing just that.  Letting my past and others dictate what I should think about a new person.

                Here’s a short example: there was this person I saw every week, but in a crowded place.  They talked to me a few times and asked a lot of questions about who I am and what I do.  The first time I didn’t really think much of it, if anything I thought it was a bit weird.  But fast forward to a few weeks later and I sit next to this person who starts asking me a lot of questions.  When they said they already knew some things about me, I was surprised at first.  It was not until after I left that I realized those two people were the same person.  On an even sadder note, I won’t ever see them again.

                There are two things wrong with that story.  Number one, I can’t ever remember people I’ve only talked to once.  So if you meet me for the first time, I guarantee that I’ll forget your name in five minutes.  I don’t know why, because usually I have a pretty good memory.  Second, I had an opportunity to know someone and I didn’t even take it.  And now I wish I had.  Actually I really wished I had asked them as many questions as they asked me because now I’m stuck with regret and the guilt of not being polite.

                There is a good, solid reason for everyone who comes into your life.  Nothing is an accident.  If you have the chance to go out and meet new people, take it!  God put them in your path for a reason.  As always, the reason may not always be clear but if you ever have the chance to help someone out or talk to them, don’t hesitate.  This is how people meet their best friends and soulmates.  You aren’t going to get very far in life if you only talk to three people.  We all have that bubble, a zone where we feel comfortable and people we feel comfortable with.  But if we live in that bubble, are we ever going to see some of the amazing things the world has to offer?

                I’ve always been one to try new things by myself.  I just never really saw the point of dragging five other people with you if the point of going to that new place is to meet people and try new things.  Maybe this will end the problem of cliques.  If people only knew how many more awesome people there are in the world, maybe they wouldn’t stick to their favorites. 

                One of the reasons I started this blog was to reach people everywhere and to send out positive messages that will impact people’s lives.  One thing I highly encourage is thinking outside the box.  Don’t be afraid to step outside of what you know for something that may just change your life for the better.  I know it takes a lot of courage, but just think of that time when you tried a new food you were nervous about trying and ended up liking.  That’s how these things work.  Lots of courage, but it may help you out in the end.

                As I was writing this, I thought of a song I want you to hear.  This was one of my favorite songs when I was younger, and it has a great message about stepping out to help someone.