How Fourteen Changed My Life!

She said “No.” Day after day I would ask her the same question, and received the same answer, “No.” Time was running out and I wanted it. It was something I made, I created, I worked hard for. It was so important to me, but I still was rejected. She knew I was leaving, but would not give me the art work I sought so hard for. Her reasoning: she had to grade it and would do it in her own time.

I was fourteen. Fourteen years of age and felt older than my years. I went through a turbulent time with prior friends, and now had the freedom to express myself, through art, the inner creator in me seeking to define myself on the outside. At fourteen years of age I created a unicorn on a piece of paper. It was not an ordinary unicorn, but a part of myself. A part of me that revealed the joy I was feeling as a teenager, the joy I was feeling of being able to actually create a piece of art, when I only draw stick people.

This piece of art, a simple drawing of a unicorn, with brilliant colors drawn onto the body, was me. And yet, the art teacher would not let me take it to a new home as we were moving away. Honestly, I was devastated, heartbroken and confused on why she could not grade it sooner?


Alas, we moved and the drawing was lost to me, forever with the art teacher until she either filed it away or tossed it. But was it who I was? Was I a unicorn? Silly question some may say, but when you are fourteen years old, nothing is silly. It was a start to something else.

This “something else” introduced me to a world of creativity, a world of forgiveness, a world of new beginnings.

Creativity: I could create another unicorn. I know it was not the same, but I could still draw unicorns, or even dabble into new things. I could draw, paint, write, take photos, the world was my oyster, and this unicorn was a stepping stone toward it.

Forgiveness: At the tender age of 14, I could forgive the people who hurt me physically, mentally, emotionally and socially. Move on with my life and make new friends who understood me and would accept me for who I was. Forgiving was a start to learning how others would forgive me for my wrong doings.

A new beginning: A new school, opportunities free for me to pursue. We all can have new beginnings, even when we wake up in the mornings. A fresh start, hope in our hearts, glee in our voices as we openly receive a change, embracing a new beginning, even with unicorns.

Someday this change would lead me to a new relationship with Jesus. It was not right away, but as a young adult I would accept Him as my Lord and Savior. I want to say because of a unicorn, but that was only a start to a road of freedom, opportunity and hope that I would one day meet the Man who died for my sins, even the sins of those that had hurt me at the young age of fourteen.


As I sit here, thinking back into time, with my legs drawn close to my body, a smile forming on my lips, I forgave the art teacher who would not release the precious art drawing of a unicorn. I am thankful for the path she helped put me on as a young 14 year old girl, with aspirations of a creative artist, but yet, letting the Master Artist, Jesus, draw me close to him, even with a unicorn close to my heart.

What was a pivotal age that you experienced a life altering change?

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