Dear High School Me,

You’re going to be okay. I promise. I know that no one has really told you that, but it’s true. You are loved, and you are going to be okay. First off, that boy that you like: you guys aren’t going to end up together. Everyone’s telling you that you guys would be cute together and that one day you’ll get married; they aren’t trying to hurt you or even lie to you. They are just telling you what you want to hear; so, go easy on them when things play out. Next, take care of yourself. Wash your hair. Wash your face. Please, dear, I promise it will make you feel better about yourself.

Now, I can’t tell you much about the future ’cause that can screw things up (according to Back to The Future, which I just watched by the way), but I can tell you that you are going to find people who look at you and see what you are. They will see that you are a girl who is fragile, a girl who is torn between liking herself and hating herself. A girl who laughs to cover up everything, so she laughs at everything. A girl who can’t help looking at herself in any and every reflective surface. Who can and has slept through a whole day for no reason. A girl who will wait for a guy no matter how long it takes for him to come around. A girl who is so impatient that she’ll ask “Do you like me?” at the beginning  of a first date. A girl whose tears are as common as her smiles. There will be people who see you; but there are also going to be people who won’t understand what they see. They will take your tears as weakness and your laughter as naiveté, and they will run away from your boldness; and, that’s okay. They aren’t ready for you. Maybe they will be one day, but you can’t wait for them. You need to keep being you, and you need to continue to grow.

So, high school me, pick up your head when you walk, go easy on yourself, and treat everyday like a new chance to start over if you didn’t like yesterday. I’ll talk to you soon.

Love ,

Your college-aged self