Thanks and a Letter

Today I'm thankful for long chats on the phone with a friend who is far away.

There is nothing quite like spending an hour catching up on life, love and everything else.  And it made my day.

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Dani wrote a letter to her 16-year-old self and invited other bloggers to join her.  I decided to play along.

Dear 16-year-old E,

Life is good now, but it's better later.  You will laugh at your car accident and luckily for you, no major harm was done, but try to keep your eyes on the road instead of you discman.  You really shouldn't worry about that grade that isn't as high as you think it should be.  Your GPA won't matter once you start college and it's plenty high enough to do that.

Family is important, which I think you already know, and someday you and your brother will be able to spend long periods of time together without fighting.  And you and sister will have quite a bit in common, and it won't just be clothes, shoes and makeup.  Your dad will get funnier and your mom will get wiser.  While you and your cousins may not have much in common, you'll still be great friends.

There's this boy this year, and you should figure out how you feel sooner rather than later.  I know that he doesn't talk about things like feelings (shocker), but he's pretty serious and there are plenty of signs to tell you that.  Even though you don't intend to, you will break his heart.  

Even though you apply to way too many colleges, you will choose community college, which is definitely the right choice.  You will have a blast, you will make new friends, and you will be a little more ready for the real world because of it.  Don't mind the people that don't think community college is good enough.  It was right for you.  Community college isn't lesser and you will be really thankful to have fewer student loans.

You will grow up, have great friends, and learn to let loose a little.  What you want to do now with the rest of your life is not what you'll actually do.  Not that you've exactly figured that out, even (almost) 10 years down the road.  Luckily enough, you will figure out your own style, in so many ways.  You will find clothes that look good and sometimes remember to wear them, you will find music you love, people that get you, and things that you love to do.

And that's just in the first (almost) 10 years.

There's more I could tell you, but I'll leave you to figure it all out.  You do a pretty good job of that.  I'm totally proud of who you are and who you are becoming.  Keep kicking butt!  (And spreading the love.)

Sincerely,

An Older and (hopefully) Wiser You, a.k.a. someone who cares.