Dear Sixteen-Year-Old Me

Lately, on Facebook and other social media sites, I've been seeing this topic circulate. At first I tried to ignore it. It's such a cliche thing to do, right? Writing your younger self a letter seems somewhat pointless. It can't change what's happened. What's the purpose? I let this thought roll around in my brain today when an unshakeable realization came: the purpose is to see how far you've come, not to change where you would go.

So here we go.

Dear Sixteen-Year-Old-Me,

Let's get this out of the way now: boys are dumb, high school is boring, and when you graduate none of it really matters. It's true. The guy who dumped you turns out to be a huge jerk (said in the nicest way possible), and your grades are fine just the way they are. Sometimes it's difficult to see past the typical teenage girl things. I promise, it's all pretty irrelevant once you hit college. Boys are still dumb in college, but on a slightly elevated level.

Studying for your driver's test does not help you with the practical part. If you take anything out of failing your test the first time, it should be that human error is the biggest cause of automotive accidents. Sometimes, it's not even your own error. Don't bum out about it, accidents happen.

Color your hair all you want, but know this: you'll let it grow out natural and healthy one day. You'll love it. Then, you'll decide to shave it all off. Yes, you haven't changed too much.

Don't stop reading or writing. Read the books you scoff at. It'll make you appreciate the ones you love even more. Write about what bothers you, or what makes you happy. Just do not quit writing. Write songs, poems, or blogs...but don't give up on it. It makes it that much harder to jump back in! Plus, there's nothing more embarrassing than a spelling or punctuation mistake on the internet. It's actually a bigger deal than Brittany Spears going off the deep end. Seriously.

Stop worrying about what you want to do with your life. You're going to pick the perfect college, and then realize you don't enjoy it at all. Be prepared for the backlash of dropping out of college. Try not to worry about it too much, though. Your parents will, like they always have, support you in everything. You'll try, and fail, at a lot of different life positions. One day, on a whim, you'll take a job offer that will end up being one of the greatest things you could hope for.

It's okay to feel uncertain. Life is uncertain. You can tuck yourself in every night and worry about what will happen next. I can guarantee in a million years that you will never actually dream up the exact journey you will have taken by the time you're 21. Friends come, friends go. The best ones stay in touch. The greatest of them love you for all you are, and all you can give them. They will never leave. Forgive the ones that do. They have their reasons, be that distance or a change in who they are. Growing, singularly as well as in friendship, is hard. There's no promising that others will grow up to love and appreciate the same things you will. It will hurt to see them go, but part of forgiveness is understanding and accepting the decisions others make.

Finally, embrace and love yourself. Tell yourself that whatever you have, whatever you do, whatever you accomplish, it is enough. Don't feel the need to apologize for your sense of humor. Don't feel the need to apologize for anything. Give everything you've been given. You've been dealt your hand; you have to play it. Just know that there's so much of the world you have yet to see, and so many people you have yet to meet. Lastly, please never forget to laugh.

You've made it this far,
Samantha Hudson (what, last name change!?) 21 years old.