Dear 16 year old me,
Why are you so hard on yourself? First off, you are not fat. Trust me, you will know what a fat you looks like, and honey child, this aint it. You are a child, still growing and developing. But believe me, you are beautiful. In the future, you would give anything to look like this, so savor it!
Stop abusing your body. You already did damage from cheerleading, do not add to it. Make sure you stretch and exercise, and for the love of pete eat something now and then. And wear your glasses, because you are only making your eyesight worse with all that squinting.
Nothing is going to keep you from being successful but you. You love school, you know you do. So stop talking about being something great, and be it. Stop allowing yourself to slide by. Apply to more colleges. OUE was great, and you saved a ton of money, but see what else is out there too.
Do not be in such a hurry to fall in love. You are going to get your heart broken for the next 16 years, before you meet the most amazing man. He will be worth the wait, trust me. But learn now that you deserve to be treated well, and should not settle.
Do not work at Rave. It is not a terrible experience, but really not worth it. And get your driver's license. It is not as scary as you think, and it allows you more freedom, especially to get a better job. But do work, it comes in handy your senior year. Pictures, announcements, and formal dresses get expensive.
Do not get credit cards. They are evil. Open a checking account instead, and try to buy a car. It is a much better way to establish a credit history.
Be a little more open minded and kind. People are often not what they appear in high school. Some of those people you do not talk to much will end up being great friends to you in a few years. And spend more time with David. You will miss him when he is gone.
Lighten up a little, and have some fun. And goodness gracious stop worrying so much.
Tell your family you love them at every chance you get. They are the ones who matter the most, and will always be there for you. And go see Gram more. You will regret it if you don't.
Oh, and that huge hair? It's not cute. Buy a flat iron as soon as they become popular, stop cutting your hair short, and whatever you do, do not dye it yourself, get it professionally done. And wax your eyebrows.
Love,
Me
