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6.07.2012

{a letter to my fifteen year old self}

Letter

{via}

Dear fifteen year old me,

You’re a freshman in high school right now. Don’t you feel so old and mature? Because, well, you’re not. You just had your first kiss for goodness sake! You obviously don’t know how the world works. But that’s okay. You aren’t supposed to yet. But here are a few things that might make your life just a little bit easier right now.

Be nice to your grandma. You may think she’s cray-cray, but she won’t be around forever. In fact, she’ll be gone a lot sooner than you think. So stop with the attitude and tell her you love her for once. And that you appreciate her. Because she’s really done so much for you.

Stop trying to get the boys to notice you for the wrong reasons. I know you don’t think you’re beautiful, but you are. You don’t see it yet, but you will. I promise. I also promise that you’ll find the boy who notices you for all the right reasons. You don’t even have to wait very long! Just a few more years, much sooner than most girls. He’s the only one who will make you see what you’re really worth, so don’t try finding it anywhere else.

The same goes for friends. I know that making friends in high school is a traumatic experience, but don’t worry about it too much. It might take a little bit longer to find those true friends, but I promise that you will. And they will be the best friends that a girl could ever ask for. They will love you for you, support your crazy dreams (and believe me, they will be crazy), and be there on your wedding day while you walk down the aisle. Just keep an eye out for them when you get to college.

I know that life is hard for you right now. It’s hard for any fifteen year old girl, but especially you. In the next few years you will go through things that no girl your age should have to endure. So, love your brother. Things are going to get really difficult soon, so make sure you are there for him. And cut your mom some slack. She’s doing the best she can, all by herself. You’ll tell her you appreciate everything she’s done someday, but for now, just stop expecting so much. She may not be able to give you nicest clothes, but she’s definitely giving you something a lot more important. She’s turning you into the woman that you’ll be someday. And I promise, you’ll be an amazing and beautiful and intelligent and successful woman someday.

Don’t be afraid to be yourself.

Don’t be afraid to love yourself.

You’re worth it. Whenever you question if you’re worth something, anything, know that you are. And don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.

And keep an eye out for a girl named Taylor Swift. She’ll help you through a lot of this. I promise.

Love,
Twenty-five year old you

12 comments:

Lauren Drugan said...

Oh Joelle, this is incredible. <3

Lindsay @ Trial By Sapphire said...

An experience is what you make it. Thus, life is what you make it. Things really can get better and better.

I hope writing this letter was a therapeutic and helpful experience for you. We all need reminders of what we're worth from time to time. Heck, even when we don't NEED to be reminded, it's nice to be reminded anyway!

Lovely letter, Joelle!

Anne588 said...

Sometimes I just wish we (or someone else) could write us such letters. It would make a lot so much easier. Being 15 is hard.

Christianna said...

Loved, Loved, Loved this post! It was beautiful! Thanks so much for sharing!!!

Unknown said...

I love this. I made have to write one to myself very soon.

xo Shane

Britt said...

So sweet! Being 15 is so hard. I feel for the young girls of today struggling. They want to be so much older than they are and demonstrate it in the worst ways.

Kaitlyn Thatcher said...

I definitely got a little teary eyed reading this. I had completely forgotten some of the really difficult stuff you and your family went through when we were in high school. You are such an example to me of how to weather the storms gracefully and how to come out on top and better than ever. Gosh, I just got teary eyed again writing that. I probably shouldn't write all this on a comment but I'm going to anyway - whenever I read your blog and see how much you've accomplished, and what a seriously amazing, beautiful, talented, strong, graceful woman you are I feel so honored to have known you for so long. You definitely inspire me to take a chance and follow my dreams and I know you inspire so many other people as well. And, wow, it shouldn't wouldn't have been nice to know how your life would turn out at 15, huh? Would have made high school soooo much easier.

Kaitlyn Thatcher said...

p.s sorry for all the typos in that last sentence! I meant to say, wouldn't it have been nice to know...

Simply Splendid LOVE said...

So well put Joelle! This was beautiful. Being a 15 year old girl, well a teenage girl for that matter, is so hard. Boy and I glad I'm over that phase!! I was really touched when you spoke about your mom. I can totally relate. Thanks for this!

Jacinta said...

This is a beautiful letter that brought me to tears. What a perfect idea for a post. You did a fantastic job.

Holly said...

I love this post! I want to write to my 15 year old self now too! :)

siddathornton said...

i want to write one of these! i feel like it would be therapeutic.

- lauren