Dear Me
Lap up that comfort you seek in your Big Bow Wow, that giant stuffed dalmation that you love (that you loved so much you had at least 4 of them), because some day, your problems are going to be more than having no one to ride your bike with to BOB's for a slushie (blue rasberry. obvi)
Stand proudly when you speak out during your poetry unit in third grade, because that is where, you will someday realize, sparks your love of writing. (You have the proof from Ms G's report card that you will find eons later, proving the point)
When that mean boy Jeffrey knocks you down (sometimes weekly) onto the grass when you walk home from school, you will someday learn that he is a bully. You maybe realize it now but there will be a day that you will have the inner strength to stick up to bullies. For now, crying into your Mother's arms is okay. You are only 7.
There will be a time when your black THE WHO t-shirt is not fashionable (either are harem pants, gouchos and "pegging" your jeans).
A time when boys aren't stupid, pimples go away (kind of), Mom actually does understand, and no matter the age; you will always- ALWAYS- remain Daddy's little girl.
Don't skip your math class to visit your high school boyfriend (because you suck at math and are going to fail)
but yes, wearing his private school football jacket will be one of the coolest parts of your wardrobe.
Pay more attention in science because you kind of wish you were a nurse.
And one day you will need to help your kid figure out things like magnetic force and things like that.
The cool kids aren't really you're friends.
I know you learn this in time.
I'm sorry if it's hard to get there.
(That is just called being a teenager)
I'm sorry it feels like your heart was broken at 16.
And at 18.
And again at 19.
You want to be loved.
Your friends are in relationships and you want that. So you often gravitate to the bad ones just to feel like you are someone.
Some day you will be loved to the fullest for just being you.
You hear that? for being you!
You may drink too much beer in college and be dumb.
And you may shudder later in life at the dumb stuff you actually did.
You will visit Ft Lauderdale on spring break, and continue to love your camp life and camp family, you will get a real job, and own a car (with a stripe down the side because you are that cool), you will have your own apartment paying your own rent and will wonder why food is so expensive and you will then live on soup.
There will be times when you fail.
A lot of times.
And you will cry to yourself on lonely Saturday nights while blasting Van Morrison's INTO THE MYSTIC on your CD player.
You may often feel inadequate or ugly.
You will doubt your decisions and you may seek love in all the wrong places.
You are someone.
You are enough.
You hear me?
You don't hear me. Because you are now 51 and you kind of get that now.
And if I told you back then you may not believe it anyway because what does an old woman know?
She knows that you get over that heartbreak.
And you will not be a nurse but you will still learn some pretty incredible medical skills.
You will be a Mom that you always wanted to be. And you will learn unconditional love within 15 seconds of becoming a Mom.
And you will still love writing 43 years later.
And you will totally miss your WHO t-shirt.
Love from your 50 years and 353 day old self.
Lap up that comfort you seek in your Big Bow Wow, that giant stuffed dalmation that you love (that you loved so much you had at least 4 of them), because some day, your problems are going to be more than having no one to ride your bike with to BOB's for a slushie (blue rasberry. obvi)
Stand proudly when you speak out during your poetry unit in third grade, because that is where, you will someday realize, sparks your love of writing. (You have the proof from Ms G's report card that you will find eons later, proving the point)
When that mean boy Jeffrey knocks you down (sometimes weekly) onto the grass when you walk home from school, you will someday learn that he is a bully. You maybe realize it now but there will be a day that you will have the inner strength to stick up to bullies. For now, crying into your Mother's arms is okay. You are only 7.
There will be a time when your black THE WHO t-shirt is not fashionable (either are harem pants, gouchos and "pegging" your jeans).
A time when boys aren't stupid, pimples go away (kind of), Mom actually does understand, and no matter the age; you will always- ALWAYS- remain Daddy's little girl.
Don't skip your math class to visit your high school boyfriend (because you suck at math and are going to fail)
but yes, wearing his private school football jacket will be one of the coolest parts of your wardrobe.
Pay more attention in science because you kind of wish you were a nurse.
And one day you will need to help your kid figure out things like magnetic force and things like that.
The cool kids aren't really you're friends.
I know you learn this in time.
I'm sorry if it's hard to get there.
(That is just called being a teenager)
I'm sorry it feels like your heart was broken at 16.
And at 18.
And again at 19.
You want to be loved.
Your friends are in relationships and you want that. So you often gravitate to the bad ones just to feel like you are someone.
Some day you will be loved to the fullest for just being you.
You hear that? for being you!
You may drink too much beer in college and be dumb.
And you may shudder later in life at the dumb stuff you actually did.
You will visit Ft Lauderdale on spring break, and continue to love your camp life and camp family, you will get a real job, and own a car (with a stripe down the side because you are that cool), you will have your own apartment paying your own rent and will wonder why food is so expensive and you will then live on soup.
There will be times when you fail.
A lot of times.
And you will cry to yourself on lonely Saturday nights while blasting Van Morrison's INTO THE MYSTIC on your CD player.
You may often feel inadequate or ugly.
You will doubt your decisions and you may seek love in all the wrong places.
You are someone.
You are enough.
You hear me?
You don't hear me. Because you are now 51 and you kind of get that now.
And if I told you back then you may not believe it anyway because what does an old woman know?
She knows that you get over that heartbreak.
And you will not be a nurse but you will still learn some pretty incredible medical skills.
You will be a Mom that you always wanted to be. And you will learn unconditional love within 15 seconds of becoming a Mom.
And you will still love writing 43 years later.
And you will totally miss your WHO t-shirt.
Love from your 50 years and 353 day old self.
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