Dear younger me,

Its been a while since
we last talked.
I know,
I’ve changed a lot and you
most likely
don't recognize me.
But I promise, I’m still
you.

I’m betting that
at your age
its un-cool to be confronted by your
future self.
I’m guessing that you’re
resenting me
and are barely paying any attention to
a word I say.
That’s alright,
I remember a time when the
most important things
in life
were tangible possessions.

Now that I think about it,
Mom and Dad had one of these
“discussions”
about the future
with me once.
I didn’t listen to them,
so neither will you.
You don’t listen to many people
do you?
Of course, at the ripe old age of
twelve
no one
is more knowledgeable than
you.

Well, you’d better listen to me
because,
kid,
life gets tough.
One day, you’re gonna realize
that life isn’t a
sugar-coated, too-good-to-be-true, disney film.
One morning, you’re gonna
wake up and find that everyone has left you
then, you’ll figure out that
rock bottom isn’t so bad because the only direction
you can go is
up.
So, kid,
why don’t you sit down,
and listen up.
Because when reality does come
and pushes you flat on your
face
maybe you’ll remember
this little chat, and figure out
how to stand back up.

Soon you’ll be a teen,
and the first thing that will destroy
you is self image.

Make-up, a word so true to its definition.
In your years, you will use
it as a disguise.
In attempt become a person that
you have made-up in your world
of childish fantasies.
Your bag of cosmetics
will be
filled to the brim with
products designed to help you
please others by changing
yourself.
Your image in a bottle,
your self-esteem on a brush.
What has this world come to,
that happiness is required to be
drawn on?

Beauty has always been
in the eye of the beholder.
But nowadays,
people allow anyone with
eyes, and an opinion
to be a beholder,
and likewise
define beauty.

Past self,
please,
never let anyone convince you
that beauty can not be natural but only applied.
If someone attempts to make you
doubt
your own beauty,
march them straight up to the
eye doctor and demand them a
prescription set of glasses.

You are beautiful.
And,
younger self,
the funny thing about beauty
is that you will not recognize
your own until you are sitting
in your room,
years later,
looking back on pictures
and realizing that you were pretty
all along.

Next, Past self,
to make it through
you’re gonna need half a brain
and a bit of common sense,
(of course there have been many people
who have made it with less than that, but I
assure you, a good brain is an
asset.)

As you stumble through
life
you’ll make countless mistakes.

Learn from them.

Never forget a mistake you made
in the past.
If you don’t learn your lesson
your mistake is wasted.
Don’t waste
mistakes,
time,
or advice.

Younger self,
I know you’re just a kid.
But never use that as an
excuse for failure.
Hold your head up high
and stand up for what is right.

Life has its ups and downs
so make sure that you enjoy the ups
and learn from the
downs.

Your future is,
and will always be,
in
your
hands.

Sincerely,
A person you can change