Journal Topic: A Letter

Write a letter to yourself as a child

Dear Young Anita,

There are so many things ahead of you, even though it doesn't feel like it now. You will go through a lot of difficulties, but you will also have a lot of happiness. Keep pressing on, and you will succeed and be happy. A few words of advice to make the road easier:

- Always treat your parents with respect. They really do know better than you do, even when you are absolutely sure they don't. Your mother will become your best friend one day. Enjoy your relationship with her and make it as great as you can, and you will reap the rewards in adulthood. She has so much to give - so much love and wisdom to share. Take her advice always because she will never lead you down the wrong path. Your dad really is the superhero you think he is. Trust me - the man can leap tall buildings. But never forget that he's a person too, and deserves to hear as often as possible that you love him and that you appreciate everything he does and everything he is. You will not believe it right now, but one day you will marry a man who is a lot like your dad. And you will be very happy about it.

- Your sister is an incredible person who will overcome some huge obstacles and will still be an amazing mother to the most special kids in the world. Become her friend early. Don't wait until she nearly dies to realize how much she means to you. You will wish you were closer to her one day if you don't become friends with her now. A sister is a special kind of friend.

- Make mistakes - but always learn from them. You absolutely don't want to keep repeating the same mistakes over and over. That just makes you feel awful about yourself and it makes you look kind of stupid.

- Speaking of looking stupid, just say no to the apricot hair color when you are 16. It is not flattering.

- Express yourself creatively and do more theatre and music. You will start a love affair that will last a lifetime and will eventually lead you to the love of your life. Yes, it's that important. Write more. Keep your diaries forever, they will be fun to look back at one day.

- It doesn't matter how many people sign your yearbook. It's better to have a few very close friends then a million who don't really care about you.

- When the "popular" kids tease you about your glasses or your clothes that came from Walmart, hold your head high. These people do not deserve your notice and they certainly don't matter to you in the present or the future. Superficial things like that are not important in the long run, and are certainly not worth the tears you've cried over them.

- Be nice to everyone. Your mother was right, it doesn't cost anything at all to be nice. And the rewards you will receive will be countless. It's always good to be well-liked because of what a great person you are!

- As you grow older, you will find yourself saying "my mom was right" about 95% of the time. So really, just listen to her now and avoid a lot of bad situations.

- Stay active - in body and mind. Study harder, but also remember to have some fun. Keep doing sports and other things that will keep your body active. Avoid all the sweets you will start eating in high school. You will want to be in good shape for adulthood.

But most of all, enjoy your childhood, because it's a beautiful time that you can't get back. When you are old (if 34 can be considered old) and thinking about the children you will be having someday, you will want to be able to think back and remember the great things about childhood so you can recreate those experiences for your children. Don't forget what it's like to stand under the wisteria bush when the wind blows, showering you with fragrant petals. Don't forget how it feels to cannonball into a swimming pool filled with other kids. Don't ever feel like you are too old to swing as high as you can on the swing set, imagining your feet can touch the clouds if you go just a little bit higher. And always remember to stop and appreciate the beauty of the world with the childlike wonder you have now. It will make your adult life so much better. I promise.

Sincerely,

Adult You - Who sometimes still feels like a child!