Everything Happens for a Reason

 I’m a firm, firm, firm believer that everything happens for a reason. Don’t get me wrong, there have definitely been times when I’ve doubted this catchy saying, but usually within a few weeks…. or months….or yes, even years, the meaning behind why something happened the way it did always hits me. Whether it’s a road bump placed in your path, or something extremely exciting, I believe there’s a reason why it took place.



 Don’t get me wrong, it’s hard to always be positive in negative situations. I myself don’t always remember that sometimes you have to go through some of those hard periods to appreciate the sparkly ones. In reference to Miley Cyrus, “it’s a climb”, and I think every adventure is a climb with its own highs and lows.

And yes, I did just reference a Miley Cyrus song.

Recently, one situation in particular made me ask, "why me?" This bump in my path was bigger that anything I had overcome in the past and I was truly overwhelmed.  Moving in the middle of my high school career was honestly harder than I could have ever imagined. It was my 6^th move and I was entirely exhausted of being “the new girl”.  But this time was different. We weren’t moving to just another military base in just another military town. We were moving two and a half hours away from the closest base. It would be the first time I wouldn’t be surrounded by a supportive military community, and this thought terrified me. It was definitely going to be somewhat of a culture shock to say the least.

I had finally felt like I had settled down in my old high school and now it was time to pack up once again. It just didn’t seem fair. All I wanted was a regular high school experience. I admit I was being selfish and wasn’t thinking of anyone else, but I really did not want to go through the whole adjusting phase again. I mean I had just gotten over being the new girl in 8^th grade!

Although, in 8^th grade I did have braces and was completely unaware as to how to properly use a hair straightener, so I was hoping this adjustment would go a tad smoother.

I’m happy to say it’s now been a year and a half since we moved to the hustle and bustle of Raleigh! There’s no doubt I’m still adjusting and trying to find my place in my ginormous school, but I’ve recently accepted that every move is different and each has its own set of  victories and defeats. Looking back at my freshmen and sophomore years  spent at my old school, I’m extremely thankful for the time I got to spend there and all of the amazing friends I made. I wouldn’t change my time there for anything. As much as I loved living on base and going to my teeny tiny, close knit school, I now realize that my time was up. The sand had run out.

 Although I resisted it, I truly needed something new. I needed something that would offer me bigger and different opportunities. I still believe that my old school was absolutely perfect for the little freshmen and sophomore Shannon, but it just wouldn’t be fitting for who I am today. My new school has offered me experiences that I never would have had in that small town. Even though I will always wonder what it would have been like to have the normal high school experience, I have accepted that these adjustments have made me a stronger person today.

So maybe it isn’t clear now, but every bump in the road and every rain drop that lands on your parade is there for a reason. Simply smile knowing that everything happens for a reason, even if you don’t know what that reason is yet.

Always remember,

Cheers!

Shannon