Dear 12 Year Old Me

{This post was brought about by a brilliant blogger, Ashley over at "Little Miss Momma". You can read the post here.}


In celebration of my impending 24th birthday tomorrow, I decided to write a letter to the 12-year-old me. You know. . . since I'm so much older and wiser now. ;)

If such a thing were indeed possible, I suppose it would go something like this.

. . . . . . .

Dear 12 Year Old Me,

Yes, YOU.

Right off, it's tempting to spill the beans about everything that is about to happen in your life. But part of what makes you who you turn out to be is how you learn and grow from your experiences; especially the not-so-pleasant ones.

No one knows what is going to happen the next day; and so there's no sense in worrying about it. Not worrying is something you will eventually learn, but it will take you a loooong time {and you still probably won't master it in this lifetime}. It will take a lot of support from loving family members and supportive friends. Life is about to get a little hairy and everything you know will be changed in one way or another.

But that's not what's important.

. . .



. . . . .

--Never underestimate your bestie, Lizzie. She will be there for you {and you for her} through many of life's adventures {although she may not be your bestie for long after she sees these pictures posted on the internet!}. Oh, and by the way, your "first grade pigtails" will be discussed for years and years to come between the two of you.

I was rockin' those pigtails, I tell ya.

Second Grade

Sixth Grade

. . . . .

--Nope. You  never will be good at math. But, uh, yeah. Nope. Good try, though! :)

--Take time to thank your friends for being there. Say thank you to the group of girls who will see you nervously looking for a place to sit at lunch on your first day in a new middle school and invite you to sit with them.

--Thank your sweet, inspiring junior high English teacher Mrs. Soelberg for reading your long-winded stories when you were only supposed to turn in one page. Her comments will encourage you for years to come.

--Don't worry so much about something horrible happening to your family members every time they leave your sight. They're fine! Worrying will only make you even more of a worry-wart {if that's even possible!}.

--Have faith in the Lord, because He will always see you through your darkest times. He will be there with you when you're sad and hopeless, and He will show you how to become the best you can be.

--Don't be afraid to stand up for what you believe in. You're one who tries hard to make others around you feel special and welcome, even though some people will think the opposite about you.

--Try not to worry so much about what others think. Be a true friend. Speak about others in a way that you would not be ashamed if you found out they were standing right behind you the whole time.

--Your depression won't last forever, so don't get discouraged.

--When you leave your phone number for that waiter and he calls you later that night, don't leave your phone in the car on the first date. That way, when you go WAY past your curfew and your mom thinks you've been kidnapped and murdered, you can reassure her that you're fine instead of walking ignorantly into the living room to a puffy, red-eyed mother at 2:00 a.m.

--People you hardly even know will write "Call me!" and "Friends 4 Ever!" in your year book. But don't worry. They do that to everyone. And besides, it doesn't matter in the long run. You will actually go through great lengths to hide your yearbooks from the public eye because your school pictures are enough to spur fear into the hearts of all who view them.

--Your bushy eyebrows are beautiful. But be sure to thank your sister, Kristy, for taming them before they began their push for world domination.

--Practice doesn't make perfect, it makes permanent. Believe me.



. . . . .

--Don't bother signing up for "The Art of Conducting" at 7:30 a.m. your Sophomore year of college. Just trust me :)

-- You make a pretty fun violin teacher, so don't be too hard on yourself.

. . . . .

--It will feel like an eternity before you meet your husband, but it's really only a blink of an eye. You'll feel like giving up approximately 684,213 times and becoming a weird hermit/cat lady. But don't worry-- because he's worth the wait {even though you side-step his first kiss and test his patience more than once}.

--Having your first baby will scare you out of your mind, and also fill you with a deep, indescribable sense of assurance. You will love her more than you can imagine; and also wonder what in the world you were thinking when she won't let you sleep longer than an hour and a half.

--You will never be able to spell 'occurrence' without the help of spell-check.

--Always love deeply from your heart.

--Serve without reservation.

--Don't be afraid to cry. . . sometimes it's just plain ol' necessary.

--Seeing the vacuum lines in the carpet doesn't really matter after all, so go make funny faces at your daughter instead. She absolutely loves it, and she will grow up oh-so-fast.

--And lastly, never underestimate the amount of embarrassing pictures you will share on your blog. They clearly know no end.


Love,

The 24 Year Old Me.