“Too young”

Three years ago, i was obsessed with a boy. I was thirteen, fourteen and experiencing my first romantic love. I used to talk to him from the minute i got home from school until the minute i went to bed. We used to do things like have our first hug in the corridor and then gush about it to eachother later when we were texting. We used to just stand around at lunch talking to eachother and making jokes and laughing at eachother all the time. We were odd, we sat next to eachother in lessons and laughed about the most unthinkable load of bollocks youd ever heard of. We used to make cringey ass nicknames for eachother and write them on our schoolbooks and our hands and, anything really.

A little while after, i was introduced to my first heartbreak. A ‘highschool sweetheart’ relationship turned quickly into an abusive relationship. Full of confusion, self harm and disappointment, realising that it affects more than just your love life and constant crying.

After that i came across a new love. I like to say, the strongest love I’ve had. He was different. A new set of eyes to fall in love with, a new set of hands to hold, a new scent to get used to, a new taste on his lips and a new mindset for me caused a lot of change. And once that had also run its cause and made its way directly out of my life, i had decided that heartbreak was the worst thing i had ever felt.

To be told that “you don’t know what love is” or “youre too young” by someone is both common, and cruel. My mum has said this to me many times and i have no trouble in shouting back to her that she is wrong. Older people often have kids with their partner, are married, live together and whatnot, but does that change the abstract noun idea of love? Are you ever 'too young’ to feel something? Or do you just feel it in a different way?

I refuse to believe that what i have felt for certain people is any different to what old married couples feel. I think that the idea of 'love’ is always the same thing, whether matured or new, wearing out or going strong. I think 'love’ is a thing. Just like happiness. Are you ever too young to feel happiness? Or too old? The same with sadness. Have you ever been told “you don’t know what sadness is”? I was once told that i was “too young” to be contemplating the idea of suicide and it set me off on one. I ranted and ranted my case to the person until i felt as though i had made my point clear.

I understand the whole legal thing about being too young to have sex. And the moral things about children being too young to share a bed or like, go out after 11pm, that sort of thing. But too young to have a feeling i hope you agree is ridiculous. Babies feel love. Babies love their parents, siblings, other babies. In a different manner, sure. They’re not about to be experiencing heartbreak any time soon or be ready to tie the knot. But do they feel love? Let me tell you something. Ever seen a baby giggle? Are they feeling happiness? Of course not. They’re too young. Ever seen a baby watch their parent walk out of the room? Are they feeling sadness? Of course not! They’re too young!

See, silly isn’t it?

People need to stop having this fake idea that you can’t feel something because of your age. It’s a childish way of telling people that their feelings don’t matter or giving them the idea that they aren’t allowed to feel the way they feel. People need to stop thriving off of the fact that they think they are superior than others because they have 'felt things more deeply’ and instead listen to what people have to say.