Take a moment to think back to when you were thirteen. Most likely, you’d rather not. After all, why voluntarily recall a time in your life that, even in the best of circumstances, was fraught with adolescent angst and tension? These were the years in which you saw your body mature, changing in ways no science class could truly prepare you for. These were the years in which defining your identity, finding your people, and understanding your place in both your own personal world and the wider world around you dominated your everyday existence.
Perhaps you were one of the lucky ones; while you experienced the normal “growing pains” associated with adolescence, you remained protected and well-cared for within the confines of the hearth and home. You never questioned the surety of your tomorrows, secure in the knowledge that all of your needs would be met, as well as a good many of your wants. Even more important, you never worried about fitting in, simply because you fit in wher