Mackenzie,

You are getting ready to go back to school after your short Thanksgiving break. You and your on-and-off again boyfriend have just gotten back together. You are still feeling uneasy about this, but you're feeling like you don't have much of a choice. Your junior year has been your most difficult one yet. You've lost friends who you considered to be family and you are drowning in school work. You currently feel like your life is turning to shit. I'm here to promise you and all the other 16-year-old girls that it is not.

Things may be difficult right now or they may be really easy. Either way, things are subject to change; your life is subject to change. You may believe that your current best friend will be in your life forever or that you and your boyfriend are going to have a fairytale wedding. You aren't. Well, you most likely won't. Sixteen is a weird age. Sometimes, you feel like you're still that innocent little girl. Other times, you feel like a full-fledged adult. It's an icky time. Your emotions run deeper than you ever imagined possible. It's scary because you never realized how much emotion you actually had until now. You're growing. Whether you like it or not, you're making that transition from teenager to a young woman. It's awkward and weird but it's happening and there's nothing you can do to stop it.

Now that I've stated the harsh truth, it's time to soften it up a bit. Things may be moving at a ridiculous speed, but slow down and enjoy what you have. I know you're sooo excited to go to college, but soak up the small town that you're surrounded by. Once you leave, it won't always be the same. Spend time with your childhood friends, because two years from now they may not be there to hear you mutter "I love you." Go to the grocery store with your parents and all those little hole-in-the-wall restaurants that no one else knows about. Sooner or later, home won't be so homey anymore, so take it all in. Do not rush growing up because once you do, you can't go back. It's the little things that you looked over that you'll miss the most.

Finally, you may feel like you're making every mistake you could possibly make. The truth is, you probably are. What you need to hear is that it's okay. You are supposed to be making these mistakes because they will only help you grow. So screw up, kiss a few frogs, and enjoy being a kid. You will never get the chance to be 16 again.