Personal Narrative: Struggling With An Identity

“A butterfly can’t see it’s beautiful wings, but the rest of the world can,” would be my saying, that I honestly can’t pin down besides a vague year in Middle School. Beyond that, it holds meaning not only to me, but in context of life and the world currently. Gleaming at my phone at midnight because of a friend who admitted they almost took their lives through pills, this phrase while not used was apparent in my hours of conversation with that person that night. Struggling with an identity is something everyone across race, gender, class, and intelligence struggle with from trying to understand an innocent crush to understanding yourself and your position in life especially in such a competitive environment is difficult. People today must

push themselves beyond belief based on such stigmas, and I think we need reminding from time to time that despite our failures, that our perseverance in such light should be seen and is, from the countless of friends that support me and you and everyone. Your wings are what carry you, but it is also what feels natural, and thus is what not noticed by you as an individual until someone points them out, and that's a struggle as depression and anxiety are on the rise and I myself struggle with those issues. I struggle with my reputation, of my standing in my family and friends, of how I should talk to people, of how I value friends and conversations, and this phrase is a summation of those feelings, of what my friend felt so many years ago, and having it on the Beta Bridge would show the solidarity of empathy of a community at large no matter the difference.