Photo Credit: Kids Helpline
High school relationships are complicated, there’s no question about it. Often, parents end up feeling like their children only care about their friends, forgetting all they have given them. On the other hand, children feel strewn out amidst so many relational worlds, feeling misunderstood, and wishing they could simply show everyone all the love they hold inside themselves. Within this parallel essay, these complicated relationships are explored as a child leaves voicemails for both her good friend and her mother.
A Student as a Friend
Hi Jessica, I’m leaving this voicemail because I am just fed up with my mom right now and I need to rant. I came home from school today, and she totally was crashing out on me about my grades!! I literally have one C in math, and the teacher doesn’t even know what he’s doing. I swear, this is just so unfair. Sigh, I understand that she loves me, and doesn’t mean to hurt me, I just wish that she could understand where I’m coming from a little more. I mean, look at me, I’m involved with so much!! Volleyball, school leadership, and rigorous classes, I hardly even have time to sleep. I am trying my best, and I want to show her I care, I really do. She just never listens to me! It’s always, “well, when I was your age I actually listened to my parents,” as if I somehow don’t even care about her. It’s not that, of course it’s not that!! I love her, I want to show her I do, but she won’t listen, she won’t understand. I guess this is why she thinks I only care about my friends, but I guess I can’t really blame her. You guys at least know who I am as I am, not within the skewed expectations of how I can perform as a child. Yuck. It makes me almost feel more like a possession than a person. I know I’m being dramatic, I really do. It is going to be okay, and I’ll be able to talk and connect with her again. For now though, I’m really glad I have you. See you at school soon, sorry for the crazy rant hahah, guess I just needed that out of me. Byeee!
A Student as a Child
Hi mom. I wanted to give you a call because I had a… difficult day at school. I guess I’ll just record this voicemail. Ok so, well, Jessica did something so rude to me today, I was on my way to Physics after lunch and I saw her ask out the one guy she literally knew I had been interested in for like the past 2 years. Like hello?! I cannot believe she would betray me like this!! After everything I’ve shared with her, all of the trust I placed in her. It doesn’t make sense. Through volleyball, school leadership, and all out classes, she’s been right there with me. I’ve shown her how much I care, I felt like she really listened to me. I talked to her after too, and she was just all like “well, I just assumed it wouldn’t be a big deal hahahhh I mean you hadn’t asked him yet so I thought why not,” like what?!?! Through all of this, I’m just so grateful to have you as my mom. You’re not like her, there’s no give and take, no immature pressures, and definitely no betrayal. You know who I am as I am, not within the skewed expectations of how I can socially perform in high school. Yuck. It makes me almost feel more like a possession than a person. I do believe that we will work through this though, at least in some amount. She means a lot to me, and I hope that if I at least show her that, she’ll see my side a little more. Thank you for continually being here for me when I just need a safe space to talk about things like this. I love you so much, bye bye!