looking back - a letter

I was thinking about this tonight(thanks Tiff!). If I could go back, what would I tell myself? Have I learned from my life? If I could have had a roadmap, a letter, a compass of sorts, what would I want to be in it?

So, here goes.

*

Enjoy your childhood. I know that there are times you want to be far, far away. I know that there are moments you are about to experience that will shape you forever. Take the beautiful ones & treasure them. Take the terrifying ones, the sad ones, recall what you have learned & then put them away. Don't let those moments of insecurity & sadness stay with you. It is not that you are the past, but that you learn from your past. Above all, lean on that knowledge that your parents are your protectors. Your givers of life. Your fountain of knowledge. Your security & your future. It will be time enough that your parents become mere mortals.

Don't be in such a hurry to grow up. I know that in those times where your parents are frustrating, your siblings are annoying, the restrictions are chafing, that you just want to break free. But remember, once you sever that tie, it's forever torn. Let them teach you even as you rebel against everything they say. Speak up at school. It's not all about the grades. There are friends to make and non academic lessons to learn that will be with you forever - it's hard to make them when your nose is stuck in a book and you are fretting constantly about the next test. Most of all - keep those friends close! Your friends are the family that YOU get to choose.

Oh, and speaking of family. Be gentle with them. Don't be harsh towards what you judge are their failings. Don't let them fade away to a phone call. Don't let them only be remembered only on a holiday or when something big happens. They are your family, however that tie may bind. Family is the cornerstone of your life that you never should forget or shortchange.

Let that first kiss last forever. Remember that first realization that you are loved imprint itself forever. It is your guide, because you should never settle. Love fully. Even if it is not returned, it is still a perfect offering and you will be the better for it. If it is returned, treat it with care & compassion. Don't let someone tell you that they love you & then treat you otherwise. Because if they do, they do not love you. It *really* is that simple.

Remember, it's okay to make mistakes. It's alright to stumble, as long as you pick yourself back up. The choices you make will take you on the road you are meant to be on and I promise to you, even in the darkest of hours, that everything will be just fine.