To my former self,
Right now, I know we are going through some silly changes. We have moved schools quite a few times, cried multiple occasions over boys while listening to Taylor Swift, found our best friend, almost burnt the house down while baking cookies, and started to believe that the people around us define who we are.
Never believe them when they say your dreams are too crazy. You were never crazy. You just had such high ambitions and dreams for your age.
Never let anyone tell you that you have to settle. Always aim for the extraordinary in life, no matter how difficult the task. You can say no if you want to, but I encourage you to go outside your comfort zone and help those around you. You never know when you may need someone to do the same for you.
However, keep in mind that you are your own person. Someone else's opinion of you may matter to you now, but I promise you will soon realize that a label is just a label. It does not define who you are. You were born to be wild, passionate, and kind. Never change the values within your heart because we need more people like you in today's world.
All of the pain and horrors that are in your heart now will only cause flames to grow in everyone else's heart to make a change, and believe me, when that fire grows, a difference will be made.
You were always so willing to burn for everything you loved. At times it will become stressful and seem like you are unworthy of your titles, but believe me, you are worth far more than that. You will realize how much of a difference you truly make. Begin to breathe again, and experience life how you want it to be experienced, rather than through someone else's shoes.
Every moment you find yourself in, you will realize that these places leave you in a sense that goodbyes are hard to come by, because you, yes you, will fall in love. Not in love with someone or something, but rather in love with your own life. You will stop and notice how the flowers grow in the spring time, how everyone has a distinct smile, how you bring so much joy to this planet, and you'll ask yourself why you ever thought you weren't good enough in the first place.
For the first time in a long time, everything will suddenly become inspiring. You learn to embrace your freckles from all the sunshine, fall in love with the wrinkle around your mouth from laughing all the time, and becoming more open-minded to the world around you.
I am writing to you now, so you know we made it.
We grew into someone who became unstoppable, not because we didn't have doubts, but because we continued to grow and move forward despite them.
Love, me.
