A letter to 11 year old me
Dear Sydney,
Hello, I'm you at age 24. I'm not any taller than you, but I am significantly older and wiser, so I'd like to impart some information to you that I think will help make the next thirteen years of your life easier to manage. Before I begin, I would like to tell you that you shouldn't change a thing based off what I'm going to tell you. My life today is good, and if I (we) had done a single thing differently, I wouldn't be here today. This is just to let you know that no matter what happens, things turn out okay. No, they turn out great. But, there will be times when you can't imagine it being possible, and that's why this letter is being written.
First of all, you're a nerd. Really, you are. You'll start to realize that in the next few years and you're going to feel a bit embarrassed. Please don't! In the majority of cases, including your own, nerdism is caused by the fact that you're good at something. You get good grades and you always will. I can sit here and tell you not to obsess about your grades, but it won't do any good. There will always be people who will give you a hard time about being a straight A student, but don't listen to them. Getting good grades will get you a great scholarship to the college you've dreamed of going to, so do not listen to them.
There will be people who will dislike you because of your success at playing the violin. Don't listen to them either. Be a good leader, practice hard (Actually, this is the one thing you could do more of. I would really appreciate that.), and this, too, will help you realize your dreams when you come to be a senior in high school.
Secondly, boys will hurt you. Oh yes, there will be a handful of boys who will consume you. You will think they are the ones for you. You will pine and cry and become a true expert on unrequited love. This is something you need to go through, even though some day (when you're my age, perhaps), you'll realize how pathetic it was. Sydney, you will shed countless wasted tears over boys who don't want you. You'll go back and forth between loving them and hating them, wanting to know why they don't see how great you'd be together, why you aren't good enough for them.
The painful truth of it is, they're not good enough for you. I know it sounds like something Mom would say, but it's true. I don't know why we were destined to pine for the boys we'd never have, but we were. What you'll see some day is how sad it is to want someone who doesn't want you back. Why couldn't we want more than that for ourselves? Why were we waiting for these unattainable boys to realize how great we are when there were surely boys out there who already saw that? Surely, we scared away more than a few over the years while we were pining away for the stupid ones.
But, some day, none of that will matter. You'll come to this decision all on your own when you're ready. You'll gain new perspective and wait until you find someone who loves you for who you are. The best part? You'll find him, and much sooner than you ever imagined possible. Sydney, you'll marry the most wonderful man who loves you, not in spite of, but because of your quirks. He will want you for you. You won't have to pine pointlessly for him, because the interest is there on both sides. He is everything you've ever wanted. Oh, and an even bigger plus? He's totally hot. :)
Finally, you will be tested. You will go through things in the next thirteen years that will take you to your breaking point and beyond. Your life will change radically, profoundly. Things will happen that you aren't sure you will ever be able to get over. But, you will. I promise that you will because you're strong. We're dramatic and emotional and silly, and most people will never know how strong we really are. It's because we're resilient enough that we don't wear these hurts like battle scars. You will take these things and use them to make yourself internally, emotionally stronger. You will become a strong woman. And if people still think you're dramatic and silly and can't handle a true crisis, then let them and hope that you never have cause to prove them wrong.
I know that I haven't seen every hardship our life will encounter. But, we can get through it. Your first true test will be in the next two years, and you'll be strong without thinking. You'll make a decision that will make your life more challenging, but it is the right choice. There will be times when you'll wonder about it, but it really is the right choice for you and for Mom and Dad.
The moral of the story is that everything turns out for the best. You'll cry a lot. And I mean a lot. Your heart will hurt and your brain will hurt, but it's all just a part of life. Life isn't always easy, but everything works out exactly the way it's supposed to. There are other things I haven't even touched on, things that will wind up bringing you so much joy and excitement. I'm not talking about these things because I want you to enjoy and experience them first hand.
At 24, I'm happy, married, and finding new reasons to love life every day. At 11, the challenging parts of your life are just beginning, but so are the truly magnificent ones. Keep your chin up, Sydney. And no matter what happens, just tell yourself that everything happens for a reason, because it really does.
Love, Sydney
Hello, I'm you at age 24. I'm not any taller than you, but I am significantly older and wiser, so I'd like to impart some information to you that I think will help make the next thirteen years of your life easier to manage. Before I begin, I would like to tell you that you shouldn't change a thing based off what I'm going to tell you. My life today is good, and if I (we) had done a single thing differently, I wouldn't be here today. This is just to let you know that no matter what happens, things turn out okay. No, they turn out great. But, there will be times when you can't imagine it being possible, and that's why this letter is being written.
First of all, you're a nerd. Really, you are. You'll start to realize that in the next few years and you're going to feel a bit embarrassed. Please don't! In the majority of cases, including your own, nerdism is caused by the fact that you're good at something. You get good grades and you always will. I can sit here and tell you not to obsess about your grades, but it won't do any good. There will always be people who will give you a hard time about being a straight A student, but don't listen to them. Getting good grades will get you a great scholarship to the college you've dreamed of going to, so do not listen to them.
There will be people who will dislike you because of your success at playing the violin. Don't listen to them either. Be a good leader, practice hard (Actually, this is the one thing you could do more of. I would really appreciate that.), and this, too, will help you realize your dreams when you come to be a senior in high school.
Secondly, boys will hurt you. Oh yes, there will be a handful of boys who will consume you. You will think they are the ones for you. You will pine and cry and become a true expert on unrequited love. This is something you need to go through, even though some day (when you're my age, perhaps), you'll realize how pathetic it was. Sydney, you will shed countless wasted tears over boys who don't want you. You'll go back and forth between loving them and hating them, wanting to know why they don't see how great you'd be together, why you aren't good enough for them.
The painful truth of it is, they're not good enough for you. I know it sounds like something Mom would say, but it's true. I don't know why we were destined to pine for the boys we'd never have, but we were. What you'll see some day is how sad it is to want someone who doesn't want you back. Why couldn't we want more than that for ourselves? Why were we waiting for these unattainable boys to realize how great we are when there were surely boys out there who already saw that? Surely, we scared away more than a few over the years while we were pining away for the stupid ones.
But, some day, none of that will matter. You'll come to this decision all on your own when you're ready. You'll gain new perspective and wait until you find someone who loves you for who you are. The best part? You'll find him, and much sooner than you ever imagined possible. Sydney, you'll marry the most wonderful man who loves you, not in spite of, but because of your quirks. He will want you for you. You won't have to pine pointlessly for him, because the interest is there on both sides. He is everything you've ever wanted. Oh, and an even bigger plus? He's totally hot. :)
Finally, you will be tested. You will go through things in the next thirteen years that will take you to your breaking point and beyond. Your life will change radically, profoundly. Things will happen that you aren't sure you will ever be able to get over. But, you will. I promise that you will because you're strong. We're dramatic and emotional and silly, and most people will never know how strong we really are. It's because we're resilient enough that we don't wear these hurts like battle scars. You will take these things and use them to make yourself internally, emotionally stronger. You will become a strong woman. And if people still think you're dramatic and silly and can't handle a true crisis, then let them and hope that you never have cause to prove them wrong.
I know that I haven't seen every hardship our life will encounter. But, we can get through it. Your first true test will be in the next two years, and you'll be strong without thinking. You'll make a decision that will make your life more challenging, but it is the right choice. There will be times when you'll wonder about it, but it really is the right choice for you and for Mom and Dad.
The moral of the story is that everything turns out for the best. You'll cry a lot. And I mean a lot. Your heart will hurt and your brain will hurt, but it's all just a part of life. Life isn't always easy, but everything works out exactly the way it's supposed to. There are other things I haven't even touched on, things that will wind up bringing you so much joy and excitement. I'm not talking about these things because I want you to enjoy and experience them first hand.
At 24, I'm happy, married, and finding new reasons to love life every day. At 11, the challenging parts of your life are just beginning, but so are the truly magnificent ones. Keep your chin up, Sydney. And no matter what happens, just tell yourself that everything happens for a reason, because it really does.
Love, Sydney