To my younger self (2005),
I wish I could have talked to you and prepared you for what was to come. You are so young and excited to experience everything the world has to offer. I wish you could stay that way. Be brave and don’t turn your eyes from the things you are afraid of.
School and grades are important at that moment in your life, but the friendships you’ll make will help you survive the real world. Not all the friends you’ve made will lasts a long time, so cherish each moment with them. Don’t close off your heart and learn how to communicate. Your closest friends are your second family, love them as you would love your sister. In turn, they will love you and accept you for who you are. They are the ones who will be with you in your best and worst days. Don’t be afraid to accept their love and care.
Keep your dreams and goals in sight. No matter what happens, don’t let your faith waiver. There will be many turns and twists on your road to success, but you will get there. Keep on persevering no matter how many obstacles you encounter. They will shape and mold you to become better and stronger.
You are young and innocent, and you expect life to be a fairy tale. It is not. But it doesn’t mean that you can’t make it your own magical adventure. Don’t lose faith in others and in yourself. You are resilient. No matter how many failures will come your way, you will bounce back, and come out the other side better than you are now.
Don’t be afraid to be different than everybody else. You don’t need to lose your identity to be accepted by society. Embrace your flaws and weaknesses – that way, nobody can use it against you. You are beautiful in your own way. And if anyone tries to bring you down, you are free to cut them loose from your life.
Love yourself, first and above everybody else. It is not selfish to do so. When you are finally happy with yourself, you will understand how to share that happiness with someone else. The many heartbreaks you will experience in the course of your life may lead you to build walls and armor around your heart. It’s normal. It’s ok to put your guard up. Because one day, you’ll meet that person who will scale that tower for you and make you smile every day. Be cautious but be brave. It might take him a while to get to you, but don’t lose hope.
You will meet a lot of people as you go on your journey. Some of them will stay, some will go, and some will leave you scars in your heart. Welcome them with open arms. Let them know you and allow yourself to form attachments. If they say goodbye, don’t hold on so much and just let go. Even if they’ve hurt you, learn to forgive and forget.
I know there are many things going on in your head. Fears and doubts of an inexperienced mind. These things will pass. In time, everything will make sense, and you will understand why things happened the way it did. Don’t rush into growing up. We don’t have all the answers anyways. Just go with the flow and enjoy the ride. Be young and be carefree. You can only do that for such a short amount of time.
My younger self, I wish I could have told you all this and more. But I am thankful for all the lessons I’ve learned from you. I am stronger and better, and the future is much brighter than before.
Thank you and goodbye,
Ruthie (2018)
My Journey 