If you could write a letter to yourself when you were 17, what would it say? My letter to myself would go something like this:
Twelve years from now you will be a much better version of who you are now. All of your irresponsibilities of moments and days gone by will be gone, replaced with a more responsible version of you. Have all the fun that you can. None of your current worries will mean anything to you when you are 29. You won’t care about what people thought about you or what clothes everyone was wearing. Those things won’t matter at all.
Hug your brothers. Hold them so close. One of them will not be with you in just a few years. Tell them that you love them. Spend time with them. They drive you crazy now, but they will grow to be your best friends.
Remember Kelby as a baby. Remember his adorable face and laugh. He will be a teenager before you know it.
Hold tight to your father and listen to him. He really does know more than you do. Hug him everyday. You will not believe how much you miss him when you move away.
Spend time with your grandfather. He has many more years, but those years will fly by. Remember the larger-than-life man that he is today. Alzheimer’s will take him from you and the family many years from now, and it transforms him from the man that you now know. Take the time to learn from him, and listen to his stories. He is amazing man with so many talents. Your heart will ache when he is not around anymore.
Your best friends are your best friends for a reason. The most special ones will be in your life forever. Be thankful for the ones that you love. Brett will be one of your dearest friends forever. Keep him close to your heart and watch out for him. The two of you will make a million mistakes together–remember those mistakes and don’t repeat them.
Be thankful for Michele. When she married your dad, she inherited a bunch of kids. It is just as hard for her as it is for you. She will teach you what it means to be a woman, wife, and mother. You really are blessed to have her in your life–don’t forget that.
Don’t worry too much about love. You won’t find your true love for many, many more years. Enjoy your relationships, but don’t worry if they don’t work out. The man that is meant for you will come into your life eventually, and you will know it when he does. I can assure you that he is amazing, funny, so kind, and unlike any other man that you have met.
Your years ahead will be blessed with a child–a son–your one and only. He will bring to your life more joy than you have ever known. He will be so much like you, and yet his very own sweet person.
