Do you ever feel inside out? Like who you are on the inside doesn’t match who you are on the outside? The way you look or dress or wear your hair, doesn’t seem to match what you feel or who you are.
This idea is what inspired me to write about Molly in FINDING PERFECT. Molly came into my head, long before her story evolved. She was smart and loving and fun and scared. She was in middle school and not the same on the inside and outside. On the outside she was beautiful, bright and, well, perfect. On the inside she was scared and hiding.
But so were so many others. But Molly didn’t know/understand/see that. She felt alone. She didn’t know that many twelve-year-olds (and grown-ups!) wish they had straighter teeth, a less embarrassing mom, a dad with more hair, or a sibling who wasn’t the smartest kid in eighth grade. She only saw the world the way many kids see the world – in pockets where everyone fits neatly. If you have beautiful blond hair and a great smile, then you have a wonderful life. But she didn’t. When no one was looking, she lined her glass figurines and counted. Until she couldn’t hide anymore.
To me, Molly’s OCD is the real-life representation of all that happens in school. No one can truly be summed up by the way they look. Yet, kids assume, label and then neatly assign others into a category. But the truth is, no one is just one thing.
Book suggestion: Read Believe by Sarah Aronson. It will make you think and question and think some more.
A wonderful, insightful depiction of what it’s all about. Worked in a middle school for many years and observed the majority of students who vasilated between wanting to be kids and wanting to be all grown up. But it certainly doesn’t begin and/or stop there. It follows us as we go through life where some days are better than others. It is so important to keep in mind that everyone has the same inside outside experiences that are often right beneath the surface of a happy facade. Luv your words.
Glad you could relate and felt the words reflected not only your life experiences, but also what you saw while working in middle school.Beneath the surface of a happy façade is a great way to describe that layer between what you see and often, what you feel. Sometimes they are the same, but sometimes they are quite different. The point is, we are never just one thing.