Dear Little Me,

Dear little me,

First let me start by saying please, for the love of all that is good in the world, stop wearing those hats. They are not in style. They are not cute. I don’t care if it’s easy, get up 15 minutes earlier and do something your hair. It’s perfect hair that has never been dyed and it’s beautiful. Appreciate it. You are gonna regret this forever when every picture of you from the age of 9-14 is completely un-usable.

Keep reading. I know that it’s your favorite thing to do right now, but you’re gonna get crazy busy pretty soon and you have enough time, but make it a priority. Read good, wholesome books that shape into the person you need to be.

Boys are not ready to treasure you until they’re at least 18 so don’t even try. You aren’t ready to be what the right man deserves. At 13 you’ll swear that you won’t “awaken love to early” but that’s not entirely true so please, please, please just stay away from trying to have any kind of relationship. You’re not ready, even though you’ll think you are. You especially aren’t ready at fourteen. You aren’t even ready at seventeen.

Stay close to your family. You’re gonna rely on them a lot during the next 7 years. Think before you shout out things that you don’t mean. Take pictures of everything. Remember how excited you were when you made your first meal by yourself or when you stayed home alone for the first time. Revel in these moments because the years slip by so fast. Thank your mom for french braiding your hair and doing your laundry. (PS she still has better fashion sense than you at this point in life. Yours kinda sucks.)

You are so innocent right now. Enjoy that, please. Your mind is so pure and you don’t know all of the horrible things that go on outside your sweet little bubble. And that’s okay. Don’t resent it. There’s a reason why your parents are protecting you. Don’t fight it. The real world will seep in soon enough.

People are going to leave. They’re going to promise you that they’ll always be there, no matter what and that you’re their best friend. They’re going to rely on you and you’ll rely on them. And then one day they’ll leave. They’ll decide that they can’t handle that you have other friends, or that you “ruined their life”, or that you’re “annoying and sheltered”, or they’ll choose someone or something else over you. And that’s okay. It hurts, but you’re gonna be okay. You’ll cry for a night or two, and then you’ll pick yourself up and move on. Those people will shape you into the person you will turn into and it will be beautiful. Don’t hesitate to trust. Don’t hesitate to let people in. Don’t hesitate to love. You don’t get to chose if you get hurt in life, but you do have a say in who hurts you. Your choices aren’t perfect, but they’re part of a greater plan.

Life is going to be hard sometimes, but you WILL be okay. You have a really great support system and your life is a wonderful adventure. Cling to Jesus because He is the only constant you will ever have. If you remember that aways, it’s gonna save you a lot of heartache.

Sincerely, an older, hopefully wiser, and changed for the best (and worst), You