A letter to little me.

Dear younger self,

First and foremost, don't worry.  Seriously, stop worrying.  You have nothing to worry about as a child, enjoy this!  This is your time to shine and be free.  Creating a pattern of worry at your age will make it an ingrained habit, and hard to break as you get older.  Realize that you are surrounded with a family that loves you, with friends that ask you to play outside daily, with pets to play with, and with teachers that think you are bright.  Be thankful for all that you have, not everyone gets these chances as a kid.

Enjoy your free time.  Run, run, run.  Lay in the grass.  Draw even more and show your drawings off.  Enter contests.  Nourish your art.  Listen to adults when they tell you that you are special. Start believing in yourself now.  You know you are amazing!

Don't worry if a boy doesn't like you back.  You are young. Boys will pretend they don't like you when they do, they are young.  You have all the time in the world to experience romance, and you will.  You will have good boyfriends in your life and you will have special kisses.  Don't stress out if you feel all alone, this feeling is part of growing up.  Please don't let young love crush you, because it can.  Stay strong and keep believing in your worth.  You deserve a fantastic love story.  Always remember this.

Be kind to your parents.  Even though it doesn't seem like it now, they are real people with real problems.  They certainly aren't perfect but they are amazing parents.  You will grow up and realize how special they really are.  Don't take your time with them for granted.  It is harsh, but true, that they won't always be there.  Show them how much you love them as much as you can, while you can.

Stop making fun of your brother.  He is a late bloomer and will find his shine later in life.  The time he spends in his room now is time spent cultivating a very strong character.  He is intelligent, witty, and kind.  Enjoy your time with him, he will always be your closest friend.  He is the only one who knows what it's like to grow up in your household.  When you move away and have a house of your own, you will realize how special this is.

You have a wonderful life ahead of you and I'm happy to say that you will see a lot of your dreams come true.  Realize the power of your dreams!  By dreaming even more, believing even more, and loving even more, even more of your unspoken dreams can come to life.  You have the power to create the life you want to live.  Use all of the imagination you have, love yourself to the fullest, and don't hold back. 

Believe in the impossible and don't let anyone tell you any different.

With deep love,
older self :)