Baby you’re a firework
Come on let your colors burst
Make ’em go “Oh, oh, oh!”
You’re gunna leave ’em fallin’ down-own-own…

Have you heard this song? Well, I heard it on the radio the other day and it got stuck in my head. Not in the it’s-getting-really-annoying kind of way, but the gosh-i-only-know-three-words kind of way. I pulled up YouTube and searched the three words that I knew. Katy Perry’s ‘Firework’ popped up, so I listened to the song and read the lyrics.

I was blown away. I listened to it twice – three times. It’s just one of those songs that you can really identify with; one of those songs that you find inspiring and so heartwarming that you post the lyrics of the chorus as your new Facebook status (go ahead – check mine). Do you know what I mean? I’ll tell you why: the lyrics to this song are SO TRUE. And, looking back over my middle school years, I wish I could have heard this song sooner!

Not because I wasn’t confident in myself; but because there were those days when someone would say something to me that really hurt my feelings or made my cheeks go red, and I think every kid has those moments when they just wish they could disappear. During middle school, and even early high school years, kids are just beginning to find themselves, to look inside themselves to see who they really are. At first, you just want to fit in. Then you take a step back and realize that you have to be your own person – you have to ‘show ’em what your worth’ and be yourself.

I’m in 9th grade now; but I have a sister in 7th and several friends in 8th, so I still have that inside look at what goes on in middle school. So many of these kids are unsure of themselves; very insecure. I can tell because they think they need to dress or act a certain way in order to fit in with the crowd. It’s really sad to me because each of these students is special! I think they need to let their light shine and be leaders to the elementary students.

It happens everywhere. Your parents tell you time and time again that you’re wonderful just the way you are; but I remember thinking ‘well, you’re biased.’ And that may be true. But you also have to remember that our parents are older (and wiser – though we hate to admit it) than us. Believe it or not, they’ve been through the exact same trials and errors. For the most part, they’ve lived life. They’ve already been through their awkward teenage years.

Here are the lyrics to Firework:

Do you ever feel like a plastic bag
Drifting through the wind
Wanting to start again?
Do you ever feel, feel so paper thin
Like a house of cards
One blow from caving in?
Do you ever feel already buried deep
Six feet under scream
But no one seems to hear a thing
Do you know that there’s still a chance for you
Cause there’s a spark in you
You just gotta ignite the light
And let it shine
Just own the night
Like the Fourth of July
Cause baby you’re a firework
Come on show ’em what your worth
Make ’em go “Oh, oh, oh!”
As you shoot across the sky-y-y
Baby you’re a firework
Come on let your colors burst
Make ’em go “Oh, oh, oh!”
You’re gunna leave ’em fallin’ down-own-own
You don’t have to feel like a waste of space
You’re original, cannot be replaced
If you only knew what the future holds
After a hurricane comes a rainbow
Maybe you’re reason why all the doors are closed
So you can open one that leads you to the perfect road
Like a lightning bolt, your heart will blow
And when it’s time, you’ll know
(chorus)
Boom, boom, boom
Even brighter than the moon, moon, moon
It’s always been inside of you, you, you
And now it’s time to let it through.

Maybe these lyrics touched your heart too – I know that they definitely spoke to me. YouTube the song and see for yourself.

Thanks, Brooke 🙂
P.S. I dedicate this post to my sweet, adorable, and extremely spirited cousin Emma with leukemia and my amazing sister who I think is wonderful, caring, and beautiful and who is battling alopecia areata. Love you both! 🙂