Dear Younger Self and Younger Girls Alike:
First, please never listen to people when people tell you that your sister can’t be your best girlfriend. More than likely, your siblings and parents will end up being the best friends you’ll ever have. They are the ones who will do anything for you.
Also – Make sure you pay enough attention in school to get into college or to end up with a really great job doing what you love. Through college and job opportunities, you will make some of the best relationships you’ll ever create. There is something about those tender, innocent, “firsts” that only the people going through them at the same time as you can appreciate.
This one’s important - always listen to your mother when she tells you to always wash your makeup off at night. (To all the younger women reading, your face will thank you for doing this, I promise.)
Also, please listen to the people who advise you to chase your dreams no matter how great or small.
Next, be thankful for all the relationships in your life that don’t work out. Your best friends you’ll have fights with, your first crush, your high school boyfriends, and your first real love. Even if they destroy you, I am reminding you to always keep your head up and to remember to love again. And love again. And again.
I’d tell you that all aspects of life gets easier, but they don’t. Relationships are a lot of work, but the ones that are meant for you won’t break your heart, and that’s what makes it all worth it.
Remember to cherish 8am soccer games and the sound of your parents cheering on the sidelines. Please thank them for driving all over creation just to make you happy. Hold onto late night conversations in shared bedrooms with your siblings, a lot of life’s lessons can be found in those conversations.
Also, I will remind you that as much as you hate taking naps now, you'll love it when you're older!
Don’t forget to relish in every single moment with your grandparents while you have them. And never forget to thank them for giving you such an amazing set of parents.
Be smart enough to realize that the world can be a really cruel place sometimes, but if you keep your faith, and keep doing nice things for other people, the good eventually will come back to you. Believe me when I tell you, “what comes around, goes around”, and don’t cry over the people who bully you through social media. They aren’t worth it.
I want to remind that you you’ll change a lot, so to embrace every phase of your life because before you know it, you’ll be a grown woman writing a letter to your younger self. And when you do this, you should be so thankful for the life you have been given.
Lastly, I want to tell you to never let anyone tell you that it’s wrong to be 100% in love with yourself.
These are the best lessons I could ever teach you.