Dear younger Serena,

All the things you’re worrying about now are not going to matter in 10 years. Everything isn’t exactly okay, but it’s on its way there.

First things first, you were always worrying about “finding the perfect boy”. Boys are a thing of the past now. You’re in love with a beautiful woman and she is the most precious thing ever. You were always worried about finding someone to love you with all your insecurities (you’re 10, I’m not sure why that was your biggest concern), but you found someone.

You’re going to learn to love your body. It’s going to take a lot, so many years, so many scars, but it’s going to happen. Your body image is no longer going to be your biggest concern. You are going to love your body. You are going to fully believe that your body is beautiful. Even if no one else loves it, you are going to. You are going to wear the clothes you want, rather than covering up in clothes a few sizes bigger than your own. You will wear tight dresses and love your thighs, your hips, your legs and your everything. As an old Twitter proverb says, “thick thighs save lives”. You’re going to love your body. The moment you realize that you are beautiful and your body is worth the love, it is the most amazing moment in your entire life. That’s a story for another article.

It’s okay to get rid of toxic friends. If a relationship in your life is making you uncomfortable, cut them out. You’re going through a phase right now where you want to be friends with everyone and their mothers. I’m not sure why; it's so stressful and being popular is so overrated. The friends you have now are not going to be your friend in a year or two. Those girls are still stuck in middle school (they’re 20 now). You’re going to find better friends in the most unexpected ways and these friends are some of the best people you’ve ever met.

Still, on the topic of friends, it’s okay not to have a best friend. You’re going to go through all of middle school and up until your sophomore year of high school and you’re not going to have a best friend. And that's okay. Your best friend of almost 5 years now is one of the most amazing people ever. You both applied to your dream school (UCLA). She was doing photography & fashion design and you were doing journalism (and fashion design, you decided that later). You both agreed on UCLA because Los Angeles was a perfect place for both professions. And only one of you got in (it wasn’t you). You’re constantly sending letters and small trinkets back and forth to each other.

Right now, you’re working on your “10 Year Plan”. You read about it in some book and decided you needed one. Again, you’re only 10, I’m not sure why you started one, that puts a lot of pressure on me. At this point, you were supposed to be a millionaire, dating Nick Jonas, and living in New York. Sorry, none of that happened.

Lastly, change is perfectly okay. Things are going to change, things are going to happen. The world isn’t ending. Just breathe. It’s all going to be okay. Everything is fine.

Now, to my older self, hopefully you’re reading this 10 years into the future. You’re almost 30 (woah, that's old). Hopefully, you’re living on a beach with the love of your life (same person I’m in love with now) with our 2 dogs and maybe a kid, depending on how I’m feeling through these 10 years. I hope everything has gotten better; your anxiety, OCD, and just your issues in general. Hopefully, all is healthy and well. Keep me updated.

Love always,

Almost 20-year-old Serena.