Letter to Me - Stefanie London

I've loved everyone of these posts from the the other LoveCats, so I wanted to share my letter with you all.

Dear 16-year-old Stef,

I want to start this letter by saying everything will work out ok. That little mantra you repeat over and over "everything happens for a reason" is going to be your rock through some difficult times to come.

High school is an odd time for you – you do so well in your studies but you never really feel like you belong. Don’t worry, once you get to university your life becomes everything you want it to be. You meet the friends that you’re going to have for a long time, you fit in and your confidence starts to blossom.

That boy you’re dating now is bad news. When everyone else tells you that and it only makes you more stubborn to ‘fix’ him. You can’t fix him, but you do meet the love of your life in a few short years. You won’t know it the first time you lay eyes on him, but that feeling comes quickly and strongly. Listen to your gut.

Mum’s going to get sick. She will be ok but you need to be strong for her and Dad. I know you’re frightened but you need to put them first. It’s going to be a tough couple of years but I promise it gets better. The whole family becomes even stronger and closer on the other side.

Always check in on your sister – she doesn’t say much but it doesn’t mean she isn’t feeling anything on the inside.

You know how you love English class more than anything else? Listen to those urges. One day you’ll have the confidence to sit down and write on your own, so start building your skills now. Don’t ever let go of your love of books.

Stop trying to change everything about yourself. YOU ARE NOT FAT. You’re athletic and strong and beautiful. Don’t listen to what others say about your body, don’t think that you’re not good enough.

You are absolutely good enough.

I also wanted to pat you on the back for doing a good job because I know you never do it yourself. Well done on:

• Never touching cigarettes
• Keeping up with your studies no matter how much you hated being labelled a nerd
• Burning the candle at both ends to achieve everything you want to achieve

Just keep at it, know that you’re following the right path and that you’ll come into your own at some point in the near future. In the meantime, try not to be so hard on yourself.

Love, Me.

Letter to Me by Sharon Archer

Dear 16-year-old me!

Super serious 16-year-old me!

   Wow, this letter is harder to write than I thought… and I know I’m probably over-thinking this - you’ll understand because you do the same!  Would be kinda nice if you could start working on that sooner rather than later!  ;)

   Okay, being serious now… what can I tell you to make your coming years easier?  Lots of things, of course, but I’m torn… everything you’ve experienced (and will experience) has shaped you and your life to where I am now.  And I wouldn’t change this for the world – you’ll love it.  I know this because... you’re me!

   If I give you advice, will it change the paths you take, the choices you make? Or would it simply mean that you can give yourself permission to enjoy more and not be so devastated by the difficult times.

   Anyway, I would love to make it easier for you to understand so these are my words for you:

• You aren’t responsible for the bad choices other people make.

• Happiness and unhappiness really do come from within. You can’t be responsible for another person’s deep unhappiness.

• Don’t be afraid to ask for help.  It’s not weakness to admit you need help, it’s strength.

• And lastly, you are so much more resourceful and braver than you realise!  Carpe diem, kiddo!

   There, that's about it really.  Except I do have one request. Please keep up with those yoga classes you start in a few years.  I’d like to be a lot more flexible than I am now. 

   Oh, hang on, make that two requests... please, don't take up netball in your thirties.  Trust me when I say, three months on crutches after rupturing your Archilles tendon is no fun at all!


PS I’m tempted to say, keep up with that guitar strumming – but you and the wonderful man you eventually marry, are going to have so many laughs when you buy yourselves a pair of guitars!  It’d be a shame to spoil that!

Letter To Me by Amy Andrews

Inspired by the lovely Louisa's letter to her 16 year old self last Friday, all the LoveCats, interspersed with other posts, will be bringing you their letters over the next few months. And today its my turn.
So here goes....

Dear Me,

Firstly, let me tell you, that you’re going to have a fabulous life filled with amazing opportunities and incredible experiences.

I know at the moment, as you head into your last year of high school, that you’re hedging your bets career-wise. You want to be a nurse but you also want to have a Plan B in case it’s not what you imagined.  Forget Plan B. You’re going to love being a nurse. You’re going to love it from the second you first put on your uniform. You love working with patients, being with patients. Chatting with them, laughing with them and crying with them. Being their advocate and their confidante. You love it so much you make an active decision to not climb up the hierarchy because you never want to lose your connection to patients.

You will never regret that decision.

One day very soon you’re going to open your front door and a guy will be standing there that you know instantly you’re going to marry. Part of me wants to tell you not to open that door. To leave that door for a few more years. You are a young woman in your prime and you have no idea what power you hold in your hands. You should date a little more, flirt a little more, kiss a little more. You should revel in that power a lot more. But you won’t. Because we don’t get to choose the time fate comes knocking and you’re going to be so head-over-heels in love you won’t care about any of the rest.

And that guy is a keeper.

You will make some wonderful friends over the years and you will commit everything to those friendships. Sadly, not all of them will last and that will throw you when it happens. It will be bewildering and it will make you wary of how much of yourself you give in future. But please know that some people come into our lives for a reason and then move on and that’s okay. Your true friends will always be there for you. They will pick you up and commiserate with you when you fall and, more importantly, they will lift you on their shoulders and celebrate with you when you succeed. People say that it’s the friends who stay when the chips are down that count and that’s so very important but it will surprise you to learn that some of those people won’t be as supportive when you find success after many years of hard slog to achieve your dream.

Misery loves company but true friends are there for you come what may.   

Lastly, I want to say – I want you to believe – YOU. ARE. NOT. FAT.  Trust me on this, you’re going to spend an extraordinary amount of time never measuring up in the mirror and please, for the love of God, I beg you, don’t do that. Please see what everyone else sees. The constant critical eye is exhausting and you’ll spend so much time finding fault with your body and being on diets that you’ll never wield that power I mentioned earlier - you’ll never know you had it until it's too late. Please, give yourself a break from that internal negative voice and be kind to yourself.  

You look good, girlfriend! Just enjoy it.

love Me xxx

PS – no matter how much Mum drives you nuts from time to time, treasure every moment with her. You will lose her too soon and nothing will ever be the same again.

Thought I'd share this song with you from Brad Paisley called Letter To Me which always, without fail, makes me cry.

Did you know what you wanted to be at 16?