A Letter to My Younger Self

 Dear little Miranda (to anyone reading this, insert your name here as well),

You don't need to prove yourself to anyone but yourself. I know this will be hard for you to fathom, but promise me it will only lead you to heartache in the long run. You are worth your weight in gold and then some and do not let ANYONE tell you otherwise. You are enough just by showing up and being present in the moment. You were worth it from the day you took in your first breath. You are deserving of love. Since the day you were brought into this world. If people don't love you for who you are, that doesn't make you unlovable. They just didn't know how to do that and that's their issue not yours. All that matters is that you love yourself. You need to forgive yourself for all the horrific life experiences that have been placed upon you.

You are destined to be great. Do not let anyone diminish your sparkle. Be authentic. Be true to yourself. Be kind. Those that will be cruel will do so. That's their problem, not yours. You do not need to have that burden on your shoulders. As your grandma has said, give them enough rope, they'll hang themselves. Don't you ever forget the morals she instilled in you. She is a wonderful woman who will love you until the day she dies, and then some. 

You will experience hardships in your life. I hate to say this, but I am not going to sugarcoat anything. It will be hard. There will be times where you feel like giving up, but PLEASE keep fighting. It will be worth it in the end I promise. One day you'll look back and say "Wow. I did that." How rewarding will that be? The fact that you have fought so hard to be where you are now, despite all that you have been exposed to. You are a WARRIOR. 

You will find your tribe and when you do, don't let them go. There will be people who celebrate alongside you. I can promise you that with such certainty. You will find something that will challenge you, since I know that is something that you like. You love a good challenge and are obsessed with bettering yourself. 

With that being said however, give yourself breaks. I know I can't say much on this myself since I am still hard on myself. Just be aware that people post the best parts of their lives on social media. Not the hard things. They want to paint a picture perfect aspect of their lives. They want people to look at their account and think that they have it all, when in actuality they very well could be struggling. 

I wish I could say that this crazy thing called life comes with a manual, but it doesn't. As you get older, things will just get harder. Take heart though! You have bright ideas that will change this world for the better! Patience is key. I know this is a phrase that fills you with disdain, but I promise you it is so incredibly true. One day you will be an advocate for those who are like you. You will be the person that you wish you had all those years ago. 

Your past doesn't define you. I know you have been told that for years and years, but it truly doesn't. It's what you do with it that does define who you are as a human being. You can either lay down and wallow in your sadness, or you can continue to get back up and fight. I can tell you that you do the latter. Even though there are times where you do sit and wallow for periods, eventually you do get back up and continue the fight. I am so proud of you for doing so. Your determination will get you far in life. 

Lastly, I love you. I know you haven't said that much to yourself, but I love you. Looking back and seeing that little girl, I wish I could give you a hug and tell you all these things to your face. Unfortunately, this isn't how life works. This will have to do. I am so proud of all you have had to face in your short life. You are stronger than you'll ever know. You will go on to do amazing things. You will touch countless lives. I can tell you one girl who came up to you after Miss Kansas and loved the fact that you were advocating for suicide prevention. It will warm your heart to know that your words touched her in such a way when you get there. 

I love you and I am so proud of you. Keep dreaming big and reaching for the stars. You will achieve your dreams and then some. 

All my love,

Your future self