Dear Little Me,
I just want to say, stay young while you can. In life, you’re going to go through so many conflicts and challenges. You’re young, and you don’t deserve to go through these problems at a young age. The problems I’m talking about are heartbreak, loss, moving to a new house, and even someone breaking your trust. What I’m trying to say to you is, be a kid while you can and make the most out of it. As you get older, you’re going to feel pain, grief, and sadness here and there. But through it all, I know you’ll find the strength within yourself to be resilient and overcome everything that comes your way. Never stop pushing, always remember who you are, and never forget where you came from. Never let anyone tell you what you can’t be. Actually, let them tell you what you can’t be. And take it as motivation so that when you get older and are successful, you’ll remember all the people who doubted you and prove them wrong. Make sure you choose your friends wisely as you get older. If you think everyone is your friend, you’re wrong. Most “friends” just want to see how much they can get out of you before you leave. They will take advantage of your kindness, exclude you from group activities, make you their last option, not care for your well-being, and bring you down. The only time they’ll make you feel like they truly care is when they see what you have to offer. So be careful of who you think is your friend. Seven times out of ten, they just want what you have to offer without giving you anything in return. Younger me, I encourage you to make as many memories as you can with your friends because, before you know it, even though it doesn’t feel like it now, they’re going to be gone once you all go off to high school. There won’t be any more seeing each other in the halls every day, sitting in the same classroom for seven hours a day, getting recess, sitting in the back of class laughing nonstop… or even sitting at the same lunch table anymore. High school is where things are going to start to get serious, and you’re going to have to start taking your classes much more seriously because high school is no joke. There is an upside to going to high school, though: you get so many new opportunities, new friends, new experiences, college field trips, and new clubs and sports to try out. In high school, yes, classes are going to be more challenging, but that’s why you have tutors. Tutors are people you’re going to want to turn to whenever you need help in a specific subject. If I know you well, you’ll probably want a math tutor, but don’t hesitate to seek help in your other classes too. No matter how much life changes you, never lose the little kid inside of you. Keep dreaming big, stay kind, and never forget that every challenge you face is shaping the person you were meant to become. One day, you’ll look back at this letter and realize you made it through everything you once thought you couldn’t.
Love,
Your Older Self
Kaedan Black – Marist High School – DMSF Class of 2030
Photo Credit: adimas – Adobe Stock