REAL LIFE

Live for the Future

By Danielle, age 17, South Carolina

I've walked down a long road of hardship, dealing with many tragedies along the way. In the past three years I've lost both my parents: my Mom to a heart attack and my Dad to alcohol poisoning. Until recently I've been living with my grandmother who has been a wanna-be mother to me. I couldn't deal with the stress and pressure she was constantly putting me through so I moved out. At seventeen, moving out is one of the hardest things for a teenager, especially a girl. During this critical point in our lives we're still developing into the women we will be, and going through emotional changes that will shape who we are forever. Moving out has showed me that even though we may think we're ready to be independent most of us aren't.

From day to day I constantly worry about how I'm getting to school and work. Finding a ride in this tough economy is even tougher when you barely have the money to give someone for gas. I have a suitcase and a bag full of clothes that I carry around from house to house and unpack only in time to pack again. No place seems to be a home because these walls aren't my own. I've wanted to give up and go home, but I remember that I made a promise to myself to never go back to a place that made me miserable. I've learned to keep promises to myself now more than ever. I continue to go to school even though I'm going to "full online" next semester. Work is my only escape back to my fantasy world as a teenager. When I moved out I gave up the right to being a teenager to fulfill my life as a full time adult.

I want everyone to know that moving out isn't the best thing unless you have the means to survive on your own. Instead of being the independent bee, I'm the dependent girl again. I know times may seem hard, but understand that everyone must experience hardship in order to experience life. It's natural to feel out of place and alone sometimes, but if you surround yourself with friends and family I promise things do get better. I've now realized my friends are truly my family, and no matter what they have my back. Just remember two things: one, stay true to yourself, and two, live for the future, not today.



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February & March Magazine Issues

March 15, 2012

The February and March issues of Sweet Designs Magazine are now online, featuring a combined 53 new articles and features!!

- Cover: Stephanie Lynn reflects on 5 years
- Cover: India (of Darn-licious knitwear)
- Life in the dumps (moving in with my bf)
- The difference between men and women
- Angels among us (parts 1 and 2)
- Arts graduates & the dark night of the soul
- Triple threat (how I survived my teen yrs)
- Dating isn't easy (my true story)
- How to turn not-so-great gifts ... (fashion)
- Ten reasons to love being single
- Taking the big leap (college)
- Valentine's Day (not what you'd expect!)
- The last of the cold (hopefully) (fashion)
- A month full of love
- Ten tips for successful airline travel
- Reasons I love writing for SDM
- Who needs love?
- They're not all the same
- The life I'm glad I don't have (fiction)
- Professional dress/ finding Fendi (fashion)
- An airport anniversary: a true story
- Inappropriate Facebook photos
- The perks of a big city (college)
- A night(mare) to forget (part 2)
- The Anita Blake series (book review)
- Saving June by Hannah Harrington (book)
- Under the Mesquite by GG McCall (book)
- The Lullaby by Sarah Dessen (book)
- If I Stay by Gayle Foreman (book review)
- My sweetheart (original poetry)
- Isn't it funny (original poetry)
- The stranger (original poetry)
- A winter wonderland (original poetry)
- One night valentine
- The thick envelopes (college acceptance)
- Southern love
- Healthy hair and vitamins
- It's a date (dating idea alternatives)
- The 30 hour famine
- School's out forever!
- Marching right back into spring? (fashion)
- Dear John
- When TV shows depict your life
- 3 Fun ways to rock spring's hottest trends
- Neglected teeth
- Starting something new
- Guy movies
- To hesitate or dive in?
- Deadly, by Julie Chibbaro (book review)
- Beastly, by Alex Flinn (book review)
- I don't care (poetry)
- Together, alone (poetry)

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