Boy do I have a lot to tell you! I am writing you this letter in the year 2011, almost 2012, which is approximately ten years later. So much has happened and there is a bunch of stuff I wish you would have known growing up, So here goes!!!
I realize that you think you know nearly everything at this point in your life. You think you know your parents. You think you know what makes a good friend and a good boyfriend. You think you know how to parallel park in any road condition. You think you know how to listen. You think you know what’s flattering on your body type. You think you know where you’ll go in life and who are you. Well let me tell you, and this may take you by surprise... you didn’t know anything!
Lets talk about friends for a moment. It is okay if it doesn’t seem like you have found your clique of friends yet. Your best friendships are yet to come. You will have great friends in life. Friends that know exactly what show to put on to make you feel better, friends that you will stay up all night with for no reason at all except that the conversation never stops. Friends that encourage you to follow your passion and friends that encourage you to leave your comfort zone, but are protective enough to say, ‘make good choices’ before you embark on a new adventure. The friends that you thought you would have through high school, after the diploma came, on to college .. and through life... well they changed. You probably talk to 5 people from High School! (Don’t worry... they all changed too). I know this is important to you right now, but popularity isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. Oh, it’s nice and all, but don’t try so hard to fit in. No matter how hard you try to be everyone’s friend, not everyone will like you. That’s true later in life, too, but that’s okay. You do have a great group of friends now though, and that is what matters.
Parents are not perfect. Okay, so you already know this. But you will have to learn to truly believe it. They will make mistakes and disappoint you and will anger you more then anyone else and make you wish you were actually the product of space aliens or Brad and Angelina. But you were not. So try to remember that they are human and might be stuck paying their nursing home bills one day. Better to do that while on speaking terms. You relationship with mom will get better over the years, try not to be so hard on her. All those times you told her to shut up... you will begin to feel guilty when you start working with troubled kids! Then the “I told you so” will come into place. You and your daddy will get a lot closer, he will be there to bail you out of all life’s financial problems, but remember.... even if not directly blood related... he is your FATHER... and will always be and he loves you more then you know. Stay in contact with your sisters... even though they are far away and build that relationship with your baby brother, he is the smartest person you will know!!!!!
Its going to take you a while to figure out success and happiness. There are going to be ups and downs, disappointments and heartaches, AND you are going to learn a lot of things the hard way. Its ok. Dont look back with regret. In the end your definition of success and happiness will change and you will realize you had it all along. Your life long goal in life was to get into a profession where you would help people, and hunny... you do just that. You go to college, and university and have many diploma’s and successes and debt to go along with it, but you manage. You love your job... and through your soul searching and following your dreams you met a man who loves you more then anything. To this day... its not over for you... your still following your dreams and learning to stand on your own two feet.
You will realize that all the little things in life that you thought mattered like name brands, popularity, weekly boyfriends.. didn’t and when you get older you would rather have one boyfriend then 5, a good group of friends, then to be liked by everybody... and you will learn that you actually love Wal-Mart... so stop wasting you money on all the name-brands.... because no one cares when you get older.
People are both meaner and nicer than you think. Be cautious with your heart, but not too cautious. You have to let people in, to learn to accept that they will sometimes disappoint you — even enrage you. And then, despite the fear that screams to you to close yourself off, you’ll have open your heart again. Stop letting people take advantage of you, your to easy of a person. You always want to help, and give people things... “buying” their friendship... well... those people will never do anything for you in return. That is a problem... you are still working with today. Life isn’t all about your crushes on hockey boys, and how many friends you have.
You will go through boyfriends throughout your years, what you once thought you wanted in your partner will be completely different then what you choose. You will live, love and learn and your heart will break, but you will never give up on love. You will still be that sappy girl who cries in movies, loves to cuddle..continues to write love notes and always puts your significant other before yourself, not because you have to but because you enjoy it and want to.
Continue to be that girl that takes pictures of everything, continue your passion of cooking.... the ring you picked out when you were 16... is still the ring you love today! Save your money and pay your bills.... good things come to those who wait... and learn to look outside the box more often then you do. Learn to take constructive critisism... and learn to give it! You still can't parallel park... but you can back up, and that important in your job later on in life.
Most of all, stay true to yourself. Never lose that bubbly, quirky.. say anything type of personality. You will be a well liked women.... you won’t even have to try hard. You will always be loud, that will never change!
Oh and some fun little things.... Spandex do come back... and you wear them. You did eventually get a cell phone although you swore to god you never would. All those times you snuck out of the house.. they knew... Dad always knew when you were drunk... but he chose not to say anything because you responsibly called him to pick you up. You flew a plane, a dream you have had since you were six... and your dream of marrying Goose from Top Gun... well thats almost true... you met a wonderful 6’5 man.... who used to be a pilot... but none of that matters.... you will see it in a few years.
You are flawed but beautifully flawed. Your imperfections make you strong, real, gorgeous. Love yourself not despite them, but because of them.
...Look @ how you have Changed.... From.. age 4 to age 16... to age 27!!!
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