Let me start this off by saying that I am proud of you. Maybe proud isn’t the best word to describe the feeling I have. I guess I would describe it more as happiness for you; happiness that you’ve finally put yourself on the right track.

You have been through some rough patches in life. However, you can’t go blaming these bumps in the road on other people. No, these are things you have to own up to. These are things that you have to face completely on your own and manage with care and compassion. Which happens to be something you have done as graciously as possible.

You have come face to face some pretty intense situations when it comes to your feelings. You get emotional and sometimes take out those emotions in the wrong ways, and on the wrong people. But what you have come to realize is that those people, the ones who have stuck with you up until this point, they care about you more than you will ever know. That’s a big accomplishment for you, finally realizing that someone does, in fact, care. And you know what, you’ve now seen that IT IS O-K-A-Y. You wont spontaneously combust if someone tells you they care about you, or if your friend comes to cuddle because you’ve broken up with yet another bad apple. You’ve come to realize that letting these people in, well, it isn’t so bad after all. Finding out they care has been a struggle, but realizing that letting people in is your gift, one that you can choose to give, was one of the higher points in your life. If someone walks away from that gift, it is one hundred percent okay to mourn your loss, but never dwell on “what could have been,” just smile when you see them in public and remember that you are given many opportunities in life. People come in and out of our lives for a reason, usually to serve a purpose and help us see the bigger picture, of which, you have now become aware.

You have come to peace with being hurt. You finally know that hurt and sadness are things that everyone go through. How you handle them, however, is the real challenge. You have grown to try and perfect deep breaths and calming thoughts, because you now understand that even when things seem so bad in your head, that, this too, shall pass. Given the right amount time, and possibly some extra love and care, most wounds will heal. You just have to give yourself some credit, take a look in the mirror every day and tell yourself that you’re worth more, and learn to love yourself twice as much to make up for anyone who thinks otherwise.

Finally, you have mastered the art of getting lost. You used to panic at the thought of not knowing your way, or not knowing the direction you wish to go in your life. But with time, you now see that most times getting lost leads you to the best adventures you will ever have. College, so far, has been the best adventure, and you’ve only gotten to realize that by losing yourself and doing everything you can to find your way back to the person you have worked so hard to be. You were led down so many different roads and whether it was getting lost directionally or emotionally, all of your mistakes have given you the best experiences, and led you to some pretty awesome friends.

I am happy, in this moment in time, that you have felt enough and learned enough to know you’re still growing. You still have many hoops to jump through, mountains to climb, and ten page papers to write before you get to where you want to be. However, right now, I am just happy you’re you and that’s all you will ever have to be.