Teen week: words that heal.

by

I pray she never loses her self-love.

This is the first post for Teen Week: Words that Heal, written by Mara Glatzel of Medicinal Marzipan.  I adore, admire (& myriad other A-words) Mara.   I did before we met in person. I did even more so after that.  Please to consider joining her this week.

When I was a teen, I remember voraciously consuming any and every written word that would help me figure out what to do with my body. I was always trying to figure out what to do with my body – a body that was cumbersome, heartbreaking, and the source of daily ridicule.

I read what was available to me, and I made plans.

Plans to starve myself, trick myself, sculpt myself, change myself, show myself in the best possible light, cover up myself, and some how make body easier, more palatable.

Plans to make people like me.

Plans to make me cool(er).

Plans to get me a boyfriend.

Plans to make me the kind of queer girl that was socially acceptable, after it became apparent that I didn’t want a boyfriend.

Plans to make me feel less alone.

While I was busying myself reading and making plans, I was able to distract myself from the pain I felt about my body and how others treated me. I was a work in progress. I didn’t have to worry.

Someday I would show them.

If I was doing something about my body then the boy who told me he’d date me if I lost a hundred pounds didn’t matter or the feeling of trying on every pair of jeans in the store only to find out none of them fit or the pained look in my mother’s eyes when they settled on my thighs.

I didn’t have anyone in my life telling me that I was perfectly fine, just the way that I was.

I created Teen Week: Words that Heal, because as bloggers we have incredible reach. We blog about all the aspects of our adult lives – whether we feel carefully pulled together in our adulthood or still rough around the edges. However, many of us have teens in our audiences, waiting in the wings, looking up to us, and consuming our words.

I wanted to create a week where a 14-year-old who was scared and consumed with self-loathing could reach out into the internet and find a sea of vulnerable, honest, and inspirational hands to hold.

I believed that we could, collectively, use our reach to reinforce the hearts of those who are desperately looking for a happy ending.

I believed that, as adults, we could benefit from retelling our stories, turning the awkward and the ugly into something gorgeous by repurposing it for someone else.

Teen Week officially launches tomorrow, March 26, and will last until Friday, March 30th, during which time bloggers all over the world with take to their computers and fill-up the internet with their stories.

I hope that you will join us.

Get all of the details here.

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Comments

    • Deborah I would love to have you participate! Can’t wait to see what you share – if you have any questions, email me at medicinalmarzipan {at} gmail {dot} com. xo

  3. I work with middle school kids (most are on the autism spectrum or have learning /emotional disabilities) on a weekly basis. Face to face is much more effective- my opinion.

    • I agree Cheryl, face to face is definitely more effective, and would also be my preference. However, there are many kids who don’t have access to body-positive role models in their daily life, and are scouring the internet looking for something to latch on to. This project is geared towards these teens. I don’t believe that it needs to be either/or.

  5. That is such a great idea! I really wish that I would have had something like that as a teenager. It’s a great inspiration. 🙂

  6. Much needed. Oh, yes, if the internet had been around when i was a teen, and i had had this, it would have helped. As it was, there was no one.

  8. I have been trying to get back here to comment.. WOW is all I have to say! I so resemble some of what you wrote Carla.. I will have to think about what to write since growing up brings back such hard memories for me in terms of low self-esteem & worth.

    Thank you so much for sharing!!!

  10. Wow what a great idea. I am so sad and frustrated when I hear things going on today and think back to how it was for me. Sometimes I think things need to be designed for people in their 20’s too. It’s like someone waves a magic wand and just because you’re not in HS or because you’re legally an adult you’re supposed to be OK and have the answers? Not to discredit this at all! I think it’s a great idea and a wonderful attempt at helping others.

  12. Wow! Such a powerful topic that deserves lots of attention. So kudos to all of you participating. I will be sure to come over and send lots of comment love and words of encouragement.

    PreTeen/Teen years are definitely tough and mind boggling. As much as I may have resisted ‘help’ there were a few people I cherished for believing in me and being there for me.

    And now that my daughter is getting older (and it freaks me out and scares me) – something like Teen Week could definitely be useful to her. I will be scanning the topics to see what we can read together and discuss.

  13. I think Mara and I would have been great 14-yr-old friends! At least we had a lot in common. Sadly? But what a great way to remember and reach out! I LOVE this: “I wanted to create a week where a 14-year-old who was scared and consumed with self-loathing could reach out into the internet and find a sea of vulnerable, honest, and inspirational hands to hold.” I know that something like this would have made an impact on me as a kid.

  14. I love the idea. I could relate to what you were saying…I felt the same way as a teen! I think it’s universal.

  16. So excited to participate in this project and read your great post. This is so true about feeling like you are a “work in progress” along with the pain and the putting off of self-acceptance to a later time when you’ve “earned” acceptance. Which of course is now, and we are all perfect the way we are. So relatable and well-put!

  18. YES. My dad was the one giving the most “you’re not okay as you are physically” messages …. and my mom was so metabolically slim that she HAD TO drink milkshakes as a teenager/young adult to keep meat on her bones!! When my 15 year old frets about her body, it is SO HARD to find the right words/actions to get through to her that she is beautiful as she is. Being a dancer probably compounds that. Hopefully Teen Week 2012 will help someone!! I know it helped me to be able to write a post for it. 🙂

  19. Hi Mara,
    I just wanted to thank you for the idea of Teen Week! I’ve been looking through the many posts and they are all completely brilliant, not to mention completely relevant, as I’m currently 16 years old.
    Sincerely,
    Alexa

    • Hi Alexa – thank you so much for your comment! I’m so glad to know that you are reading and that it is useful for you 🙂 xoxo

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