Being Human

Something about the cooler weather always brings to a sense of nostalgia. or perhaps, i am a nostalgic person in general. always remember the past better than it Actually was. however, some parts of our lives are better than we remember them.

i hated my formative years. i was a tall, lanky pre-teen who didn’t have a chest yet to fill her shirt. (Still working on that one, if anyone has 5k Lying around for a great purpose!) i got my braces in my late teens, so i can say i was what they call a “Late bloomer”. i stumbled through these years awkwardly, trying to fit in while still standing out. i found myself wishing i could skip to when i had it all together. (Still to be Determined Young Maddie).

And yet- somehow- i made friends. the ones who saw me at my most awkward, most unpolished, my most unsure that were in the same boat as i. those friends that i snuck my parents booze out of the fridge (sorry dad), or egged me on when i wanted bangs (I will never forgive y’all). Or was there during what i thought was my first Heartbreak-handing me The harsh reality that boys were not princes, and i was not a princess.

They didn’t just witness my chaos; they joined in. They laughed, they enabled, they consoled, and somehow, they made me feel like i belonged even when i didn’t feel like myself yet. They knew me before i fully knew me.

even now, years later, i catch myself smiling at the memory of those days. the late night giggles, the dares, and the facebook drama we swore was tabloid worthy. Those friends taught me more than any advice book ever could: That people will love you for exactly who you are and who you are becoming.

Life has pulled us in different directions. We’ve grown, changed, and made new friends, but those early friendships left a permanent mark. They remind us that connection isn’t about perfection — it’s about acceptance, shared experiences, and being seen.

So maybe today is the day to text that friend who knew you before you knew yourself. Share a memory, a laugh, or just a “remember when?” Because some friendships don’t fade — they wait quietly, ready to remind us of who we were, and who we still are.