To my younger sister,

First and foremost, I promise you that you will be okay and that high school isn't anything you can't handle. So from your big sister, here are some things that I want to tell you as you start this new chapter in your life.

I'd tell you that you have nothing to worry about, but that's not true. There will be days where getting up at 6:30 a.m. feels like torture. You'll go weeks without time to yourself. You'll forget to turn in assignments and make stupid mistakes on tests. Remember, what's done is done; you can only write it in your planner and do better next time. You'll lose friends you've had for years, but you just might make new ones who will last for decades.

High school is full of change.

In the next four years, you’ll make mistakes because everyone inevitably does. No one likes failure; no one wants to experience failure. I want you to know that failure isn’t when you fall down—failure is when you don’t rise up again.

Falling down will teach you more valuable lessons than success ever will, so learn from the falls. Learn about who you are and who you want to be. Rise again and again. I know you. I know that you are one of the strongest people I've ever met, and I know that you are capable of doing anything you set your mind to.

Make sure you and your friends stick together but don't be exclusive. It's a whole new environment, but you have good people to get you through it. Yes, sometimes crappy things happen, but remember how much you all love each other and if whatever toxicity may come up is too much, don't be afraid to separate yourself from it.

Don't let people get to you! Yes, sometimes teenagers are mean. Yes, sometimes teachers are terrible. But there are just as many nice classmates and spectacular educators who make up for those you and your friends vent about. The most important thing is is that whatever questionable things these people say or do doesn't define you and the best thing is to take a deep breath, stand up for yourself, and move on. With the right attitude, you'll grow up fast and be able to handle all of it.

People will change. You’re at a point in your life where you’re constantly changing, growing, and evolving. When your friends undergo transformations that might not be similar to yours or when you think that you’re growing apart, don’t get mad at them. Don’t hold grudges against them; it’s just a part of growing up. Know that every person who walks into your life will teach you something important if you just let him or her. Don’t cry about the fact that it happened, smile about having such beautiful memories and moments to look back on.

You’ll probably fight with Mom. You probably won’t like her over-protectiveness or strict rules. It might not seem fair when she doesn’t let you go somewhere or do something, especially when it seems like all of your friends don’t have those restrictions, but know that she cares about you and only wants the best for you. Embrace every chance you get to spend time with her because these four years will fly by so incredibly fast, and once you move out, you’ll miss her tremendously!

There will come a moment when you will question your self-worth. In that moment, know that you are enough. You are whole and complete just as you are. You are good enough. You are smart enough. You are strong enough. Your self-worth should not depend on who likes or dislikes you. It shouldn't depend on anyone or anything other than you. Never hand over the keys to your happiness to someone else.

Take chances. Get involved and do things that scare you because doing things that scare you will change and mold you. These experiences will make you more confident, expose you to the outside world, and open countless doors for you in the future.

Times will seem hard and never-ending. But, I promise you, as you throw on your cap on graduation day, you will look back and thank high school's misfortunes for making you the strong, wise, courageous, dedicated, loyal, appreciative, brilliant, confident, good, proud, young girl you will grow to be. And you will look forward to the life you never even imagined and be more than ready to make yourself a happy, beautiful, wonderful life.

Love,

Your older sister