Facebook is one of the most popular social media websites and continues to improve itself in order to bring new features to keep everyone interested. One of the newer things created is the Facebook Memories. You know, that notification you get every day saying something along the lines of, “You have memories with friend A, B and C to look back on today.” Another plug-in called TimeHop does the exact same thing. I don’t know about you, but I definitely have a love/hate relationship with this feature. I used to post the dumbest, wackiest posts because I thought I was a hilarious eighth grader.

Like most other 14-year-olds, I was very awkward, melodramatic and needed some guidance on how to act as a decent person. Although some of my old posts make me cringe and question myself, they help me see how much I have grown up throughout the years. It is a reminder of the changes that make us into the people we are today.

We are halfway through our beloved summer break, and I am reminded of all the things I have gone through to get to where I am today. Six years ago, I was a middle schooler, thinking that those were the hardest years of my life. I tried to be involved by playing sports and going to school functions, as well as keeping my grades up. Like most middle schoolers, I hadn’t learned some of the basic social rules and tried really hard to fit in, only to be left out. I still learned from all my experiences in middle school, which helped me be slightly more prepared for high school. Four years ago, I was a sophomore in high school, thinking that it was going to be my year. I was convinced that I was going to strive in high school after a painful freshman year, but faced even more problems than I did in the previous year. Two years ago, I was a senior in high school, anticipating graduation and my chance to get out of my hometown, without many intentions of going back. Last year, I was a college sophomore that experienced many problems that made me grow up really quickly.

I’m sure many of you share the same growth. Circumstances change and we all adapt ourselves to mold ourselves into the people we become today. As everyone else has, I have learned a lot from the mistakes I made while growing up, no matter how major or minor they were. Failure and challenges are an opportunity for growth -- don’t give up in the face of adversity. You’ll look back on your memories and be able to say, “Yeah, I overcame that and look how it helped me be who I am today.” You’re going to make mistakes, and I am sure Facebook or another social media website will be there to remind you of them, but don’t let the idea of failure stop you from trying.