A True Story About a Teen's Fun Times, Traumatic Move and Grief After Leaving Friends
Nicky is a shy teenager who lives in a small town in a beautiful area. She and her school pep band friends play music at football and basketball games, enter math and music contests, and have a great time together. She becomes alarmed when several classmates move away, and she wonders if any of her good friends will move.
Then Nicky's father gets a new job and announces her own family will move to a big city suburb. Nicky must face her impending departure, and she feels anxious about leaving her pep band friends. What will happen after the family moves? Will Nicky be able to cope with being so far from her good friends? Will she ever see them again?
Leaving Pep Band Friends is a narrative nonfiction story written as fiction which highlights the difficulty of moving as a sensitive adolescent. Nicky's "Life Before" and "Life After" experiences are compared and contrasted. The themes of family dynamics, peer relationships, and the importance of stability in sorting out identity are explored. Adolescence is a crucial time of social brain development and some teens may be more at risk of serious mood disorders, and even suicidal ideation, if a move interrupts their progress.
At the end of the story, the 34 page "Text Message of Support" is a fictional text message conversation between a teen girl, who is having trouble after being moved, and her grandmother. The messages focus on the main themes underlying the difficulty with change many teens face.
Also included is an eight-page "Author's Thoughts on Being Moved as a Teen." Its intent is to normalize and explain why a teen may not adapt well to losing what they know, and have a tough time accepting the new situation.
In addition, Appendix A is a list of "Suicide and Crisis Hotlines", Appendix B is "Warning Signs of Suicidal Ideation," and Appendix C is information about "Depression," which includes the additional factor of diabetes distress.
The supplementary material may help teens who have been moved understand their emotions, adjust to a move, and not feel so alone.
Please note the guidance provided is not intended as a substitute for seeking professional assistance.
