Dear past Noemi,
There is so much I have to warn and tell you about in order to be prepared for what awaits you in your future. I know times are tough and you might be experiencing those moments but I want you to keep in mind that it’ll all be worth it in the end. The fights and struggles you face will eventually get paid back to you in a better outcome. Remember that those bad moments are just temporary. However, I have some advice that would’ve helped you get through it. If you ever feel overwhelmed, stressed, or alone, always remember your family has got your back and will always be by your side. Funny story, there was a time during your high school admissions process where you felt stressed over completing essays and had a breakdown at 2 a.m. You didn’t know what to do and decided to call your brother (who was in his college dorm) not remembering he was probably asleep. Before you were able to hang up, he surprisingly answered and talked with you for a while. He gave you advice and you felt a hundred times better than before. You were able to finish your work and feel relief after that long talk. While you may think of it as a time where you were at your lowest, I think of it as one of those memories that will stick with you forever and that will always remind you of how strong you are and that you are capable of doing anything. You are also very lucky that you had a supporting and loving family (especially brother) who were always there to listen to you. I’d say they’re the most important people you’ll ever have in your life and you can always count on them to help you with anything whether it’s physically or mentally. This leads me to my next piece of advice which is that friends come and go. I suggest you don’t get too attached or close to certain people because those connections could backfire and affect you negatively. Just be yourself and your true friends will stick around with you. If they decide to leave, then so be it. Let it be, process what happened, and then move on with your life. This is the best thing you could do for yourself because it will help you worry less and heal faster from those bad connections. I’d say I’m very happy with the friendships you have right now and the way you communicate with people. People describe you as a chill, fun to be around person and I want to keep that up. Always remember to be polite and not care what other people think of you because in the end the only person you want to worry about making happy is yourself.
Don’t worry about nothing else but yourself. Following this rule will definitely lead you towards a successful path in your life. However, this does also mean that you should appreciate the little things in life because you never know when you’ll never see or experience them again. Growing up will definitely make you feel mixed emotions towards being older or wanting to stay younger. Appreciate the fun, goofy moments you have as a little kid and the fun little trips you take with your family because as you grow up, I’d definitely say there’s less time for that since you have more responsibilities. I’d also admit I get a bit nostalgic just thinking about how sometimes being little was way easier than now transitioning to being in high school. Although I sometimes wish to experience those good old times again, I also like to think of the possible opportunities life will throw my way in the future. Yes, the future can be scary to think about but as you move on you’ll create more good memories and you’ll definitely want to focus on them the moment you experience them since you’ll never know when that time comes again. You also never know if you are able to experience something someone never will and that’ll leave you thinking on how you should appreciate and be proud of being able to do what you did instead of thinking back to it in the future and feeling sad whenever you think of those memories.
Live your life to the fullest because people don’t lie whenever they remind you that you only live once. If any positive opportunity comes your way, take it. If you come up with a life goal or anything you want to accomplish in the future, work up to it and achieve it, no matter how silly you might think it is because those accomplishments are what’s going to get you far in life. Be the person you want to grow up to be, live the life you want to live, and always make sure that no matter what you do, you are happy with what you’re doing and that it is something you’re proud of. Academic wise, I would’ve hoped you were taught how to time manage. This could’ve probably also helped you stop procrastinating but at least you are still doing good at school and you’re keeping up your good grades. I know it could be pretty easy to get distracted but just remember to take a moment to close your eyes and think for a couple minutes before you go back to work so you could still give your brain a little break. I know it could also be tempting to over exceed your limits on your work but this could also affect you in the future since you might be overworking yourself, which could probably get you stressed out easier. I am, however, proud that you were able to stay organized at a very young age since it led you to being a neater, more efficient person and student. As a student, you should also remember that people have their own opinions and that you shouldn’t change your mind on something that you highly believe in just because others might not agree with you. Although you didn’t really face this problem very often it still happened a couple times with the topics of the LGBT+ community and equality in different races. You did a couple assignments regarding these topics but then felt discouraged when no one else seemed to focus on those topics too. I am, however, glad to say that as an eighth grader, I am now more focused and engaged in assignments/arguments that have to do with social problems especially because they are growing and being more focused on (BLM movements, etc.) I was able to stick with the topics and watch them grow with other people who support them too. “Anything is possible if you put your mind to it.”
Overall, I am very proud of who I grew up to be, which is a strong, independent girl and I’m excited to see who I will grow up to be. I’d say I am growing up to be a girl who is very wise for her age. I love what I do and I am very happy with who I am today. A few reminders for my future self would be to never change who I am for someone and to enjoy life even if it has rough times since those are the tough life lessons that will help me become a better, stronger person once I overcome those challenges. Don’t let tough moments be pervasive. Once again, enjoy life and live it to your fullest because you never know if there is a tomorrow. Keep being yourself and always aim to follow your goals.
Sincerely, Your present self Noemi Zavala
DeLaSalle – DMSF
Photo by Tim Sullivan from StockSnap