Hi,
I guess this letter means that you made it through- somehow. I know it felt like the world was ending, I know it felt like there was nothing more important that what was happening in those middle school hallways, but let this letter be proof to you that you were wrong. You were wrong and there is absolutely no shame in that. Your 12 year-old mind wasn't big enough--wise enough--yet. How were you supposed to have faith in a future that you couldn't even begin to fathom to understand? Someday, and someday soon, you will realize:
That the opinions of others didn't matter. Seven years later, those Aeropostale sweatshirts you had in your closet, those Abercrombie sweatshirts you wished your parents would buy you, they just don't matter. They've long since been donated, given to someone who needed them more than you did. Someone that was just happy to have clothes on their back, not a brand name across their chest. And don't compromise your own hobbies and interests for the sake of others. Listen to whatever music you please. You don't need to fill your iTunes with Taylor Swift just because everyone else does. And if there's a song on the radio that you like and other people don't, by all means, sing along. Just be yourself. And just because your 'friend' tells you you have a "boy's taste in music" doesn't mean you need to keep quiet about what you like. Please don't let it make you feel worthless- instead, I wish you would pity her. Realize how sad it is that she feels the need to limit herself to some sort of gender expectation that doesn't even make sense. Keep listening to the Beatles. Wear whatever you want. Do your own thing. Labels are, for the most part, self-assigned-- they only define you if you let them. Appreciating what you have and being comfortable in your own skin is all that really matters in the end.
That some of the best people and the best moments of your life are a short-ways down the road. Next year, one of the most cherished people in your life will to come to school. And then high school will start, and you'll meet some of the most genuine people that your small town can hold. Please hold them close, they mean so much to you. Don't settle for friends who will call you on that beloved pink Razr phone of yours for the sole purpose of putting you down. Don't settle for anyone less than you deserve. Realize that the stupid summer camp you went to last year will become your favorite place in the world. Realize that in four years' time, you'll be traveling to your favorite country in the world, experiencing things you could never imagine. Realize that Mom and Dad have your best intentions at heart. They do so much for you- I wish you would have understood that sooner.
Cherish every moment, and when things get bad, just know they'll get so much better, so, so soon. I promise you, there's so much more to life than what that stupid little middle school is telling you. And by the time you're in college, you'll be thankful that this year sucked as much as it did. Not to spoil the surprise, but seventh grade is the year you learn that being true to yourself is the key to a happy and fulfilling life. Some people go 80 years without realizing that, so be thankful that you learned it so early on. Yes, the process does suck. I wish you didn't have to go through so much hurting so young, but that's the way our life goes. Life will throw a lot at you, but it's nothing you can't take. I'm still standing, aren't I? Just know this: it'll get better and it'll be fantastic. I guarantee it.
Hang in there.
Love, Me
