I am a daughter

A sister

A girlfriend

A friend

I am not perfect

I have flaws

Though I hide them,

They still exist.

Behind the smiles and laughs

Behind the walls of pretend happiness

Is a scared girl

Finding her path

“She graduated top of her class”

“She was student council president”

“She’s a state champion”

“I want to be her when I grow up”

People only see

The pictures we paint for them

People don’t see

The pain that it took to make the portrait

They see the 4.0

But not the panic attacks before each test

They see the girl speaking in assemblies

But not the gray-hair-inducing stress accompanying the title

They see the girl holding a trophy, her name etched in gold

But not the countless ice baths or pain killers

I don’t know where I’m going

But I know I am on my way

I know that I have flaws

But I know that I am loved

Next time you try to define me

Don’t define me by my achievements.

Understand that I do more

Understand that there is more to me

Than the list of titles following my name.

I am more.

So much more.