dear 16 year old me.

i recently saw this film on a friend's blog. it is titled "dear 16 year old me," and it a collection of individuals sharing what they would say to their 16 year old self. i am not going to say what the film is about, but watch it. seriously. and make sure you grab a box of tissues before you do, because it is a powerful tear jerker. anyway, i decided to use the film as an inspiration for today's post. and i decided to write a little something to the 16 year old me.

erin,
you are too serious. actually, you take life too seriously. stop it. life is meant for fun. stop living your life in fear and start having a little bit of fun. you are 16, not 26. you are not suppose to have your entire life figured out by now, so stop trying to. you have plenty of time.

i know you are trying to keep your hair long and beautiful, cut it. you look so much better with shorter hair. and it is so much healthier. and on that note, you are way too uptight about your appearance. and wearing makeup. and making sure your hair is perfectly straight. trust me, all of that will go out the window in a few short years. and it will become a rare occasion for you to wear makeup.

i know you think the struggles that you are going through right now are the end of the world, but they are not. you are going to come out on the other side, a stronger person.

you are stronger than you think you are. you aren't pushing yourself to your full potential. you actually won't start really pushing yourself until you're in your 20s. but when you do, you hit it hard. prepare yourself.

enjoy this time with your family. you are not going to see this that often when you go off to college. and i know at the time you don't mind it, but you will regret it later. i know your mom tells you this, but friends come and go, but your family is with you forever. cherish them.

you get tattoos! and more piercings. yes, i know, little miss conservative you gets tattoos, and you absolutely love them. and you end up with 8 piercings [don't worry, they are all in your ears].

it is going to take you 6 years to finish your bachelor's degree. you will transfer schools. you will change majors. you will be rejected. but the journey you go through will be absolutely worth it in the end.

i know you think you want to get married when you are 20 or 21, but guess what? you don't. you are still single at 23, and you love it. so don't freak out when you go through college and don't meet your husband, it is ok. you are enjoying your life and finding out what God's plan is for you. so it's ok.

you settle down in los angeles. i know i know, never thought that would happen did you? well, you do. and you love it. you develop a heart for this city.

you absolutely love being outside. camping. hiking. don't deny it when you get dragged on family vacations, these will become your most favorite vacation and pasttime.

you stay friends with kara. you stay best friends with her. you guys actually end up living together when you are 23. cherish her friendship, she is such a blessing to you.

you are going to teach at ucla. i am not going to tell you what, that is going to be a surprise. but just know this, you have exciting adventures in your future.

you will hit low points over your college career. i mean, really low points. you will question who you are and what you want to do with your life. but don't lose faith. keep going.

and lastly, brace yourself, you go through this time, a phase, where you question your faith. the thing that you considered you essence basically your entire life. you question it. you cry. you yell. you live in a state of confusion. but you come out the other side a stronger, more confident person. you grow to learn what it really means to have a relationship with Christ.

you will stay addicted to coffee. you will stop drinking soda. you are going to be a completely different person than you expected yourself to be. but don't worry, different in a good way.

sincerely,
23 year old self