Dear childhood me,

Oh boy, do I wish I was in your spot right about now. You’re probably in the middle of disassembling your Barbie dreamhouse, or rummaging through mom’s closet for the perfect outfit to play dress up in. Right now you are in the simplest part of your life, your prime. So don’t be in such a hurry to grow up so fast, I promise it’s not all it’s cracked up to be. I know right now you are wishing for nothing more than to be grown up, and sure it has its benefits, but you have no idea how good you have it. Before you know it you’ll be 23, reminiscing on old memories, and wondering where the time went.

Be nice to mom and dad. I know some of the things they do might not make sense to you, you might even feel like they’re out to get you. But everything they do, they do because they love you. And boy, do they do a lot for you; watching your field hockey games, opening their home to host sleepovers with 15 screaming girls, driving to girl scout meetings (not to mention all the girl scout cookies they bought when you didn’t sell enough). They’re your number one supporters and your biggest fans, I don’t think I’ll ever be able to repay them for all they’ve given me. So be good to them.

Also, I know he may seem like a huge pain in the butt, but be good to your little brother. Because you may be able to push him around now, but one day he’ll be 6 ft 2 pushing 200 pounds and be ready to repay you for all those times you put him in a headlock until he cried. You may not appreciate him right now, but one day you will. Family is important, and at some point in your life he may be all you have, so remember that.

Alright I’m just gonna come out and say it, boys are awful. You’re going to go through a lot of heartbreak in your lifetime. You’ll meet guys that make you think they put the stars in the sky, and when they leave you’re going to feel like your whole world is crashing. But always remember you are a strong girl with big dreams and an even bigger heart, don’t let some boy get in the way of that. Realize that you don’t need to rely on anyone to be happy. The happiness comes from inside you, so don’t go looking for it in other people when it was with you all along.

There will be failures and triumphs. There will be times when you question what you want to do with your life, and where you really belong. You’ll make big decisions and you’ll make big mistakes. But always remember that you have an incredible road ahead of you and you will accomplish and do so many things you never thought you could. I have confidence that you will succeed and be the best version of yourself possible.
Childhood me, you have a lot of things to look forward to; so enjoy all the care-free days of your childhood now, because growing up comes way too fast.

Sincerly,

Me