I just turned 26 this week, so I guess this means I'm saying hello to my late twenties? I don't really feel any older or any different except for the fact that I just aged off of my dad's health insurance (so exciting). Mostly what I've been feeling is the disbelief that it's been 10 years since I turned sixteen and my friends and I kind of literally thought we were painfully cool. Now I know that I'm so not and none of us have had it together this entire time. If I could somehow toss a note back a decade to my sixteen-year-old self (you know, the origami triangle kind), here's what I would tell her about the future:
You delicate little flower, you,
You have no idea of what you're going to see and get yourself into.
You will know who your friends are.
You will learn quickly who has your back and who doesn't. Some people will hurt you on purpose, and others will simply fade away when your lives are done crossing. Make no mistake that it's going to be confusing and sad, but what you will find is that your real friends will always be there. After you've spent years apart, it will feel just the same when you see each other again.
Don't let anyone tell you you can't do something.
Because the first step of completing any task successfully is banishing self-doubt from the situation. You will waste so much grief on things and people who frankly don't matter. Things you think are a big deal now are going to be okay.
Paris Hilton won't be relevant anymore when you're 26, so there's something to look forward to.
You're probably asking yourself how this is possible. It's proof that small miracles do happen.
You have a right to control over your own body and a responsibility to remind others that they have that same right.
F the patriarchy while looking out for yourself and your friends. Always be aware of your surroundings like the smart woman you are.
You will discover new things you're good at.
And these new things will lead to some really cool opportunities in the future- we're talking social, career, and beyond!
