A Love Letter To The Teen Girls We Used To Be

Dear sweet girls,

You wake up every morning wishing that you hadn’t, wondering why the stresses of life weigh you down. You wonder why you have to live with so much anxiety, difficulty, and trauma so young. But the truth is, life does get better, and your life will look up before you know it.

You’re anxious about your future, wishing that the answers you’re looking for will magically appear. You’re terrified of commitment, worried that you’ll lock yourself into a life path that won’t fulfill you. But you are far more intuitive than you understand now, and you will discover a way to live out your wildest dreams. So keep pushing, striving, and succeeding, because every small victory will bring you one step closer to falling in love with life again.

You hate yourself, dreaming about being anyone else as you stare into the mirror, scowling and wishing yourself away. You mistakenly believe that your legs are too thick, your arms are too crooked, your breasts are too small, your hair is too flat. You gaze wondrously at glossy magazine covers, wishing that your skin was clear like J-Law’s, that your eyes popped like Miley’s, that your hair flowed like Beyoncé’s. But no matter how many times you try to change yourself, you are beautiful in your own right, worthy just as you are. So stay true to yourself because every day you show up authentically will bring you one step closer to discovering your true beauty.

You constantly cry over the boy who broke your heart, believing you weren’t enough for him, wondering if you will ever find the true love you thought he was. Your heart hurts every time you see her happy with him, kissing him in the halls, gushing over love notes that should have been addressed to you. But if he can’t see your worth, your love for him, your care for him, then he never deserved you. He’s just a boy, but someday you will find a man, a man who will love everything about you fiercely and faithfully. So wipe your tears and stay hopeful because your Prince Charming will sweep you off your feet someday, and the boy who broke your heart will become nothing but a memory.

You feel the pressure of your teenage years make you lose your breath. You wonder if you can survive for three, five, six more years until you reach your magical twenties. But beautiful girls, no matter how difficult life seems now, you can and will live out your dreams, survive your worst nightmares, and reach the other side smiling.

Love,

A woman who’s walked in your shoes