When you are 13-years-old, you make mistakes. Many people think that it is more important to impress others than to grow as a person. There are many things I wish I could tell my 13-year-old self.
Dear 13-year-old me,
I hope you know that you have your whole life ahead of you, and although this year is important, there are many other years to come. Don’t worry too much about what other people think of you. Believe it or not, you probably won’t even remember the names of half the people you are trying to impress ten years from now.
Don’t skip out on family dinners. I know that your phone may buzz in the middle of your conversation at the dinner table, but wait ten more minutes to check your phone. Ask your parents how their day was instead. Watch a movie with your siblings at home instead of sneaking into the R-rated movie with the “cool” crowd at school. That movie is dumb anyway, and you don’t need to do anything to prove you are cool enough for others to hang out with you.
Join every club in school. I know that the girl who sits in the front of the room in art class may know how to draw eyes, hands, and proportionate faces, but there is such a thing as abstract art. You might have a gift that you don’t know about yet. Try out for everything you can. People will not think you are weird for this, but they will see your confidence shining through.
I know that you might think the world is over when your crush doesn’t like you back, but there will be many more boys to think about in the future. Soon you will realize that you don’t need to have a boyfriend to be successful. Spend time figuring yourself out first. Grow as a person and discover who you are, then you will be ready to share your life with someone who can help you grow even more.
Don’t talk about the quiet girl in the back of the classroom. She is just like you, and sometimes, you are that girl. Don’t circle up with your friends and gossip in the hallway. Do not tell anyone they are any less of a person. You should never be the reason someone decides not to come to school one day.
Most importantly, be yourself. Learn to love your imperfections and how to grow from your mistakes. Wash your face every day and don’t wear makeup just yet. Paint your nails bright colors and discover what genre of music makes you the happiest. If someone brings you down, move on and grow from the experience. Girls can be mean, boys can be cruel, and parents can seem intolerable, but the world is a beautiful place, and you are a beautiful person.
P.S.
Please don’t get that awkward haircut when you are 15.
You are cute, but that is not.
Love,
A More Mature Me
