These words were inspired by Amazon Prime’s second season of The Summer I Turned Pretty. Explore Belly’s growing pains through the ups and downs of friendship, family, love and so much more on July 14th, 2023. There’s a hollowness that comes with a breakup.  Laying in bed at night, my body felt fragile as the sheets settled around me. My tomorrows felt like hurdles. My todays were weighted in solitude. My mind was a treetop filled with birds that would not stop cooing, even when I wanted silence. You prepare yourself for this– the hurting, the decaying. Shedding a layer of yourself to bl ..read more

We don’t get to choose our parents, or any of our family, really. We arrive on Earth with a predetermined family tree and story, and what happens from there is entirely variable. It’d be great if each one of us ended up in families where we’re loved unconditionally, accepted in our wholeness, have all our needs met, and can form healthy attachment styles with the people we share DNA with. But sadly, this isn’t a guarantee. Humans are imperfect, and as such they’re not all going to perform to the same levels. Humans also have varying experiences that determine a lot of how they act, how they ma ..read more

One casual day, I went out with friends on what we called a light and chill outing. We had a nice walk, chit chatted a bit, and then went on a nice car ride, screaming our hearts out and jamming to our favorite music. It was warm and nice and our usual kind of thing. But what happened next healed something in me. It was like getting an unexpected, soothing hug out of the blue. During that outing, two new people joined who I hadn’t known before, and like any two people who get to know each other in the beginning, we engaged in the usual expected greetings and small talk. But what my friend ..read more

It’s easy to wake up every morning with a full cup and even easier to allow everyone to take from your cup throughout the day without even realizing it. You’re a giver. You’re a people pleaser. You like to lend a helping hand whenever and wherever you can. There’s nothing wrong with this. There’s nothing wrong with this at all. There is, however, a problem with how you feel at the end of the day because of this. There is a problem if you feel like you’re being used. There is a problem with feeling exhausted and defeated at the end of the day and not feeling as though those people would do the ..read more

We’ve all been there — a friendship disagreement leads to bad blood, awkwardness, and lots of reflecting on your mistakes. Unfortunately, I’m no exception; this past year, I experienced the most intense friendship fallout I’ve ever had. The sticky situation led me to do some serious thinking about where I went wrong throughout our friendship; so, that being said, here are the six most important things I learned from a major friendship fallout. 1. Take their advice with a grain of salt. In the midst of this friendship, I began my first-ever relationship, and I’d just moved away from home f ..read more

There is a certain pain to what it is to be human, and the irrationality and unpredictability of the world around us seems to capture our emotional reaction. We not only question ourselves constantly but those close to us. You may have had to unfriend people because of their disregard for fellow human life or health. Maybe you’ve had your health challenges in many shapes or forms, and these people have lived a blessed life and simply have no perspective. There is nothing wrong with not wanting to be friends with people who lack empathy or perspective. Being friends with them wou ..read more

Trigger warning: Mental illness, eating disorders, and sexual assault To those who do not know her, “Mental illness” Seems to be either a buzzword, A catch-all, A scapegoat for bad behavior Or a haunting phobia That just might come true. For those of us who know mental illness intimately At her best, When she makes us confront our deepest insecurities And at her worst, When she takes our self-control And our willpower For us who have lost those we love For us who have lost a part of ourselves, For us, Mental illness is a looming reality, An impending strike Ready to break you down So this is m ..read more

Dear friends, if I haven’t told you about this crippling tragedy that I am dealing with at the moment, it is not because I don’t find your support helpful or that I don’t value our friendship. It simply means I am not ready to talk about it. My heart isn’t ready. So I hope you understand that I just need some time. Dear friends, I may lie to you and say “I’m good,” even though in actuality, I am withering inside. Believe me, it’s nothing against you—I just can’t talk about it yet. Don’t get mad if I’m feeling distant or if my responses have been curt, I just don’t have the strength to explain ..read more

1. You’ve become closer to their family than you are to them. Over time, you might find yourself growing apart from them and preferring the company of the people around them. That’s usually a sign that the connection that once brought you two together is no longer there. Go where your energy guides you and nourish the friendships that flow freely, instead of forcing yourself to invest energy into the friendship that is clearly fading. Don’t waste your energy on a friendship that you only keep out of a sense of obligation, when you could be investing that energy into the friendships that you ac ..read more

When it comes to friendships and relationships, your love and appreciation can often grow beyond the person you initially bonded with. When you befriend or commit to a relationship with someone, you might get lucky and end up loving their family, too. It truly is a blessing to be able to genuinely connect with the environment that comes with loving someone instead of finding yourself merely tolerating it. Sometimes, life happens. Priorities shift, people change, and that’s okay. Time can change many things, and in the end, don’t be surprised if you end up being closer to their family than you ..read more