Dear Freshman Self,
This year is going to be filled with firsts. First year in high school means first kisses, first heartbreaks, and the first time playing for the school in a team sport. First time you actually feel what the word stress is. And yes it really is like a jungle. You will hear more gossip and see things some 40-year-olds haven't even experienced. My advice to you is don't forget who you are. Yes, that senior boy is going to show you some attention, and despite what warnings your dad gives you, you're going to fall..hard. Don't change who you are to make people or boys like you. This year you're going to begin to find out that some of your "friends" you actually cannot trust. Do not blame yourself for the way other people treat or view you. Stay true to who you are and what your beliefs are. You are a lover, not a fighter, and everyone sees that. Do not let people take advantage of your big, forgiving heart. Stand up for yourself. This year will be easy to let your grades slide– your basketball team will go to substate this year. So I say to you, keep studying in the car on those long commutes. Your hard work will pay off, just like your parents always told you it would.
To My Sophomore Self,
Put your big girl pants on for this year. It is going to be your hardest yet. You will experience some tribulation at home, but do not let this separate you from your mother. She may not be 5 minutes away anymore, but please call her every night. Do not look back at 20 years old wishing you would have been a better daughter. Your first round of honors classes are this year, so stay up the extra 30 minutes and finish your homework. You're going to drop weight like crazy this year due to a hectic schedule. You're going to actually experience love this year. Yes, your first love. You will find out later it wasn't as true as everybody says it is. You will go to your first party. You will start to lose yourself in the madness of high school. You will be talked about more than ever–your name will be ran into the ground. So I say to you, he is not worth ruining a relationship over. This is the year you will be saved. You will find your church family who will be there for you from this year on out. As friends begin to reveal themselves even more you are tested. Keep your head up, gossip is only talk. Do not listen to the drama. The ones who love you are still there for you. Take your focus and put it where it really matters. You are going to get your precious niece this year in the middle of basketball season. Hold her tight; they don't stay little long enough. This year is your first prom, yes prom. You are going to have more fun at this one than any of them so take it all in.
To Me In My Junior And Senior Years,
Boys will come and go. You will have to break one's heart and realize that you were better off friends in the first place. I tell you do not settle, not now not ever. These last two years will begin to mean more to you than you will ever know. You will be cheated on, but do not compare yourself to her. If a boy cannot value or see your worth from the start, you cannot change them in the end. You are better than the pain he is causing you. He is not worth the tears. I tell you, do some serious soul searching. Do not put your happiness in someone else's hands. You will find out more than ever who you really are, who you want to be, and what your goals are. Some "friends" will disappear only to mean that is the way it is supposed to be. Do not worry about how others view you. They do not carry your opinions on their shoulders and neither should you. You will meet the love of your life during your junior year and not even know it. Waiting for the right one and being single doesn't mean your less valuable, it means you value YOU more. You will get your first look at the "job" world, the "big girl" world. Appreciate that, but don't forget just because you make money now doesn't mean you're too grown to kiss your parents on the cheek. Slow down, you don't pay all the bills yet. Be grateful your parents still tell you what to do because one day you will be longing for their judgement and opinions–some of them anyways.
Fall deep, make mistakes, and regret nothing. When you are 20-years-old and typing this article you appreciate every situation you have ever put yourself through. You are stronger because of them. Hug your family members tighter, laugh until you cry with your best friend, soon you will be at separate colleges and on separate schedules. Be the best person you can be, hold doors open for people, eat the last little Debbie, and be proud of who you are. Be who you want to be, not someone everyone else wants you to be. I tell you, surround yourself with positivity do what makes you happy.
Sincerely,
Your Future self
