My poem addresses the universal theme of the accepting mistakes and the burden of perfection, as well as expressing a desire for reassurance and care. I wanted to capture the delicate balance between vulnerability and strength while emphasizing the power of communication and understanding in fostering meaningful connections.
Every day almost feels the same, especially when you are supposed to be a top student and feel obligated to get everything done perfectly. When I’m working endlessly until the day is over, my window serves as a reminder of how much I miss those days when I had time to go outside, go biking, and hang out with family instead of being in my room constantly.
When teenagers have issues and difficult problems, they are often scared to share. They can have feelings of stress or depression and feel like giving up, even when an adult sees them as ‘happy.’
A ‘perfect’ conversation requires effort from both ends. The person struggling has to open up and trust the other person they’re asking for help, whilst the person being reached out to has to provide support and reassurance. A perfect conversation is one where the person who needs help can get it.
My submission is about how I wish parents and other adults would listen to us students and children, not to say that they don’t listen but that they don’t hear us. I want this to be fixed and I want adults to hear my message and think about how they often ignore our feelings because they are scared.
Being strapped down by the depression of my daily life interrupts everything I do. My worst fear is disappointing my parents and not being able to meet the most simple expectations. […] The hardest thing for me to tell my parents is that I TRIED to get up but couldn’t.
Silencing your child anytime they are trying to express something to you is a drastic setback for them; over time, it affects their capability to communicate and express their emotions to you. Don’t limit their voice and listen to them.
This submission is a letter showing love to my family. It also shows them where I am with my mental health.
I wish my parents understood the complexity of emotions and mental health in their children. It’s easy for parents to get caught up in the chaos of raising a family, but it’s essential to pause and acknowledge that children have very real emotions that shouldn’t be overlooked just because they’re young.