Dear My Mistakes,
As I grew up, I came to realize one important concept: my mistakes cannot be dodged. Though some mistakes were bigger than others, and some mistakes impacted me in ways that scarred me for life, they were all mistakes that I never saw coming and most definitely could not avoid. Even though my childhood mistakes of not listening to mom or fighting with my brothers seem so minuscule now, at the time childhood-me thought it was the end of the world. Even in my first couple years of college when I made many mistakes that the typical college student makes (staying up too late on a Thursday when you have an 8 a.m. on Friday, not studying as hard on that stats test and suffering the consequence of the bad grade, or breaking the heart of your first love from high school when you swore to yourself he was the one), they were all mistakes that turned out to be minor and that I could move on from.
Even with the biggest mistakes I’ve made in some parts of my life that put me in a dark time, it just took time for me to learn from them and see the light at the end of the tunnel. I believe that living without regrets is a difficult concept to understand. It’s so hard to not wish I didn’t do something that ended up having such a negative turn on my life. But at the same time, I have to remember that God has everything in my life happen for a reason. My mistakes are what have shaped me into the person I am today. Without you, I would not be the strong, compassionate, more careful person that I have developed to be. Not only have you helped me become a better person, you have helped me clarify what is truly important in life, what I really want out of it and how I want to live it. You have also taught me to accept myself for who I am through the good and the bad, and you have showed me that yes, I am flawed, but I am loved because of it.
Thank you for teaching me to face my fears and accept my tainted character. Along with that, thank you for teaching me about myself and for giving me the ability to truly find myself. You have taught me so much about responsibility, integrity and how to engage in my life by taking risks. There’s no question that you have taught me to live my life fully. Lastly, one of the most important gifts you have given me is the ability to inspire others. All of my mistakes are lessons to others around me and not just on the things you shouldn’t be doing. They are lessons to others that it is okay to make mistakes and take risks, as long as you’re learning from them and letting all the bad things make a positive influence on your life in the end. So thank you mistakes — thank you for making me who I am today.
Sincerely,
A Changed But Still Learning Mistake Maker
