Great Expectations

Great Expectations

By Lydia Gabourel
Hartford High School, Grade 10

Are you expected to do great things?
Expected to get good grades?
Expected to be funny?
Expected to be perfect?

What are great expectations?
And what are the expectations you have of yourself?

You say
I need to be perfect to be what they expect.
I need to be pretty to impress them.
I need to be smart to make them happy.
I need to be skinny to fit “in.”
Is that what they’re expecting?

Expectations cause pressure.
Pressure may lead to anger
Anger can lead to abuse
Abuse to hatred
What then?

More expectations.
Expecting great things is not wrong,
Yet expecting greatness can be destructive.

The pain of pressure, perfections,
Lead you down the path of confusion,
The path of great expectations,
The path you may not be able to accomplish.
But

There is hope.
You can expect that you are capable,
Capable of certain great expectations:

Expect to be loved.
Expect mistakes.
Expect imperfection.s