You are a flower. You are unique in your own way. There are millions of flowers on this planet and not a single one is the same. You are meant to be different and you are meant to be your own person.

Your stem starts to form the day you were born and it grows as your parents build you up day by day into a strong individual. It takes time but your little buds will eventually bloom into a beautiful flower.

It is hard to avoid falling into being a follower of some else while growing up since we are all still trying to find our own way to this day. It is fascinating when you discover something new about yourself because it helps you to grow closer to the person you are meant to be.

I am not trying to be biased, but growing up with other girls was not how it's portrayed in most cases and it seemed so much harder for us than it did for boys. Girls are full of drama and cattiness and to be completely honest, it was tough. Teenage years are the hardest to accept who you are at the time because you're going through awkward stages and experiencing things for the first time. You fall in love for the first time and get broken up with for the first time. You start to play sports seriously and discover that your body is going through new changes. It scares the crap out of you but it's part of blossoming and figuring out who you are.

College is where your tiny flower starts to expand and turn into a giant bloom. Freshman year reveals the most you could ever find out about yourself and you can only move forward from there. You move away from home and start to officially become your own person. You develop new friendships and you end those friendships to find people who genuinely care about you. You develop your own opinions on issues around the world and you develop your brain in order to do whatever you want for the rest of your life. The options are endless.

Becoming who you are and developing yourself has been the scariest yet most rewarding experience because you realize all of things you cared, worried, and stressed over when you were younger are so minuscule compared to what you focus on now as an adult.

As an adult you learn to pick and choose your battles because fighting with those you love aren't worth it. You continue to learn things about yourself daily, and it allows you to form more and more flowers as the years go on. It's part of your flowers developing their color and your own personal, unique abilities.

Embrace your flowers because you're the only one who has them. Embrace your individuality and do what makes you happy because you're the only one you're stuck with for the rest of your life.

"You is Kind. You is Smart. You is Important."

-Aibileen Clark