When it comes to age, I just feel like puberty is, like, the most

Ah, the trials of age, that winding path each of us must walk, where the soul is shaped and the body transitions from one stage of being to the next. In the tender years of youth, we all must face the great storm known as puberty, that tumultuous age when the body undergoes its wild transformation, and the mind teeters on the edge of innocence and experience. Sam Smith—with the clarity of someone who has seen both sides of the coin—proclaims, "When it comes to age, I just feel like puberty is, like, the most horrible time of anyone's life." These words are not a simple lament but an expression of a universal truth that echoes across all human experience: the agony of becoming. It is a time of profound discomfort, of changes so rapid and overwhelming that the self can feel lost within its own skin.

In those years, we are caught between worlds—the childhood we leave behind and the adulthood that beckons us forward. Puberty is the bridge between innocence and wisdom, but it is a bridge that often feels as if it will break beneath us. We are flooded with new emotions, new desires, and the aching recognition that our bodies, once innocent, now carry the weight of desire, of change. We feel as though the world has grown too large for us, and we, too small for it. It is a time when the self seems to betray itself, a time when we feel trapped within a form we no longer recognize, a form that does not yet fit who we will become.

Consider the ancient tale of Achilles, the mighty warrior whose journey from boyhood to manhood was fraught with both valor and pain. Achilles, like all who journey through adolescence, faced the intense pressures of becoming something greater than himself, yet at great cost. His youth was not a shield that protected him from the battles of transformation; rather, it was the very fire in which he was forged. Just as Achilles' armor was made to fit him as a man, so too must we endure the battle of adolescence, as our identities are forged in the forge of puberty, and it is not without its scars.

But here lies the lesson: Though it may feel like the darkest storm, puberty is not the end, but rather the beginning of a journey—a journey that leads to a greater understanding of the self. The hardships of adolescence, the awkwardness, the confusion, the alienation—these are not signs of failure, but of growth. Every tear, every moment of discomfort is a part of the tapestry of life, weaving us into something new, something stronger. The ancient sages tell us that what is bitter in youth often becomes sweet in maturity, for it is the trials we face that temper our spirits, that prepare us for the greater challenges that lie ahead.

As Sam Smith speaks to us of the horrors of puberty, let us not despair. For in this dark time, when we are most unsure of who we are, we are in fact laying the foundations for who we will become. Puberty may feel like the most horrible of times, but it is also a time of profound change—a moment when we are given the opportunity to shed the skin of the past and step into the light of our future selves. Like the butterfly that breaks free from its cocoon, we, too, must break free from the confinement of youth in order to spread our wings and fly.

The wisdom we take from this is simple yet powerful: Do not fear the storms of change, for they are the very storms that will clear the path to the person you are meant to become. Instead of viewing the challenges of adolescence as burdens, let us see them as gifts—gifts that shape us, that help us build the resilience we will need in life. Puberty is not an enemy; it is a rite of passage, a necessary trial that all must face. It is not the end of innocence, but the beginning of a greater journey—a journey that continues long after the hormones settle and the body finds its balance.

So, dear traveler on the road of life, when you find yourself overwhelmed by the trials of growth, remember this: You are not alone in your struggle. The path has been walked by all who have come before you, and by those who will come after. Embrace the changes, for they are the signposts that guide you to your destiny. Whether in the fire of puberty or the trials of later life, know that you are becoming stronger, wiser, and more complete with every step you take. Age, after all, is not the measure of your worth—what matters is the spirit you carry within you, the fire that burns eternally, even as the years pass.