Dear little Emily,

Life has been pretty simple for you so far, and I’d just like to let you know that you, my little friend, have a big storm coming. Put down your Barbie and buckle the heck up because I am about to tell you what it’s like to be a teenager. Here’s the first heartbreaking piece of truth for you: It is nothing like High School Musical. The lunchroom will not break out into coordinated song and dance, and you certainly will not dress in cute, and sometimes not even clean clothes every day. You will oftentimes trudge into school with one sock on, still wearing the makeup you put on the day before, because you were working on college applications all night. At some point, you will get attention from boys, and these cootie-covered mammals will shout down the hallway at you to inform you that your rear end is “poppin'.” You will be called a slut for showing too much skin, and a prude for not showing enough. You’ll be expected to balance school work, extracurriculars, and a social life, while still somehow managing to sleep enough to do it all again the next day. When you start to develop your own voice, you will be silenced, because the world hates a powerful woman. You won’t be able to go to the doctor by yourself, but if your peers think you are “different”, you will be forced to walk through life all alone.

So, little Emily, my advice to you is to defy stereotypes. I wish for you to never be afraid to say yes, and to never ever be afraid to say no. Live confidently, knowing that you are worthy and are destined for greatness. Be bold. Be goofy. Be you.

XOXO,

Slightly less little Emily