Have you ever looked back on your life and wondered how you got to where you are or why you are the person that you are? What made you, well, you? Was it your surroundings, your experiences, or just you discovering who you were? Here's my letter to my younger self; goodness knows that my past self made me who I am today and I am very thankful for that.
Dear Younger Me,
Thank you for being "you" when you were little. While you might have thought you were really strange when you were young, looking back, I wouldn't have changed anything. All the times I was broken, when I laughed, and when I said way too much (shocking, I know), allowed me to truly become the person I am today. Thank you for all of the good and bad times. Without you, I wouldn't be...well, me.
Where to start? You were a weird little kid, but the good kind of weird. The one that wasn't afraid to be different; the one who wasn't afraid to stand out. You ate paper for goodness sake! I don't think there is anything weirder than that....but if there were, you definitely would know about it. Oh wait, you know that thing called petroleum jelly? Yes, you ate that too. You were quite a strange child. You were the wee little tyke in your family; the youngest sibling, the one to follow in the footsteps of your older sibling, the one to do things a little differently. You were never afraid to be different, to be the one to make people think. Your tenacious spirit might have caused problems at a few points of your childhood, but as you continued to mature into the woman that you are today, you found yourself.
But sometimes, being the "different one" cast many difficulties your way. You were teased in elementary and middle school and life wasn't a walk in the park. While these hard times were quite grueling, you were able to learn from them. These difficulties allowed you to learn to treat others with dignity and respect; to treat others the way that you want to be treated. This isn't easy; even now I sometimes find myself treating other people with disrespect. I must stop, apologize, and continue to try to strive to be kind to all people, no matter the circumstances.
Even though there were moments of your past for which you are not proud, it is alright. Your surroundings, challenges, and accomplishments created the foundation from which a young women could learn and grow. I will be forever grateful to you and for all you did. You were quite a kid, but a good one at that. You taught me to never stop being different, for it is those very differences that make you "you."
Many thanks,
Me
"You cannot be all things to all people. Be unique. Be different. Give to others what you want yourself. And do what you were made to do." ~Unknown
