Dear Annie (age fourteen),
I know you just started high school and the world has become your oyster. You got a lead in the Fall play as a freshman and are currently dating a seventeen-year-old. I’m happy to see that you are doing well after the train wreck of a year in eighth grade. Honestly, looking back, I’m very proud of you.
You’re probably not sure of what you want for the future in terms of college or career, and I understand. Give yourself time and it will come to you with that time and with patience. But know this: you WILL NOT marry your present boyfriend. I’m sure this is shocking to you, but it’s the truth. As much as you want to deny it, you two aren’t really compatible anyway. But, you’ll meet your dream boy in college, on a dating app no less!
You worry a lot about dating. You think that you have to prove that you’re pretty or likable enough for a man to appreciate you, but this is no way to live your life. You have to learn now, just as you’re starting this crazy rollercoaster ride, that you are worth it. You are a smart, capable young woman who is going places. I should know, I’m already there.
Also, remember not to be too hard on yourself. You are doing the best you can with your newfound OCD. I know this may sound like a blow off, but remember to slow down, breathe deep, and focus on what’s ahead, not what’s behind or what could go wrong.
In short, keep on being you, Annie. Understand that you are worthy of love and admiration. Understand that you will go far. Understand that you are doing the very best you can. But above all, know this: you are enough.
Your Very Best Friend,
Annie (age nineteen)