Dear Me,

Four years, eight semesters, one graduation… Even I’m a little surprised that you’ve made it this far. After all those times you cried and told yourself you couldn’t go any further, well, I don’t think either of us really expected you’d make it here. But, here we stand on the edge of the stage.

Do you remember when you sat in the school auditorium in the 9^thgrade and listened to the principle tell you the next four years would fly by? And then that “I told you so” moment when you were right back in the same seat as a senior. So how come you’re surprised when it happened again in college? Sorry to say it, but you’re the only one to blame for that.

So much has changed in so little time. It doesn’t seem possible that the person I’m standing here as today could be the same person who first stepped on campus four years ago. It doesn’t even seem possible that I’m the same person from a year ago, or six months ago, even last week.

It’s crazy how that happens, how fast things change, how fast people change. I guess this is what people call growing as a person.

I’m proud of all that you’ve managed to make it through over these past four years. I’m happy that you have learned to put yourself first over anyone else, because if you don’t remember to take care of yourself then surely you can’t take care of anyone else.

I’m proud that you have discovered so much about yourself and who you are as a person, and I know there is still so much left for you to spend your life exploring.

I, better than anyone, know how scary it is to take the leap into this place that they call the real world without having a safety net below to catch you if your foot slips off the thin beam you’re so precariously balanced on. There are no more guarantees, and there’s no more of that path laid out for you.

From here on out you make your own path. That’s your only job. Forget everything else that everyone else has told you you’re expected to do from here on out. Instead I want you to focus solely on what you want and what will make you happy, because frankly nothing else matters.

I know you better than anyone in the world, and I know that you won’t be happy if you’re stuck in an awful job just because you “need” that job. Instead don’t focus on what’s the best technical path for you to take, just listen to your heart and always strive for happiness.

So long as you’re striving for what makes you happy, I know you can live an incredible life.

So go off and be you. Celebrate, live life, and don’t worry about doing anything that doesn’t make you happy. Because you deserve all the happiness the world has to offer on your graduation day.

You’ve made it this far, from here, you can do anything.

Love Always,

You