Today’s prompt in the WEGO 30 day 30 posts challenge is to write a letter to your 16 year old self.  So here goes nothing:

Dear 16 Year Old Toni,

Sixteen will be a great year for you if take the time to appreciate all it has to offer.  At sixteen you are just learning how to drive, developing relationships and you have no responsibilities aside from school so just sit back and have fun.  Forget about what other people think of you, girls can be mean and unfortunately they will continue to mean throughout adulthood.  You do not have to be popular to be happy, just be yourself and stop caring so much about who likes you and who doesn’t, your true friends will be around way past all the adolescence nonsense you deal with everyday.  The other people weren’t worth the attention you gave them.

You are not invincible.   Crossing the street right in from of cars or crossing the train tracks for that matter is not safe.  Smoking is not good for your health or asthma so don’t do it.  Drugs and alcohol are both not worth experimenting with at any time during your adolescence, you will regret it.  Sunbathing with baby oil for hours on end while you burn is bound to lead to skin cancer in the future so for the love of God wear sunscreen and protect your skin.  The choices you make now will affect your health in the future so if you want to live a long life start treating your body with the respect it deserves now!

You are not fat.  You are actually skinny without even trying to be so enjoy this time of your life while it lasts because when you are in your thirties you will have to work very hard to look like you are sixteen again.  Binging and purging is a very serious illness that will lead to health issues later in life so take all the help you can get in fighting this disease, yes I believe Bulimia is a disease.  You are not ugly.  You are actually beautiful despite bleaching your hair platinum blonde so many times you have practically burnt your hair to a crisp.  Learn to accentuate your beauty rather than change it.  You will appreciate your natural beauty as you grow older.

Just go for it!  Take life by the horns and live it fully.  Do not let anyone or anything get in the way of your dreams because before you know it your youth will be gone but your accomplishments and regrets will remain.  If you never try then you are sure not to succeed so take a chance, you just might find exactly what you are looking for in life.

Last but not least 30 is not old!!!!  In fact, your thirties will probably be some of the best years of your life where you will finally appreciate and accept who you are as a person.

Love,

Your 34 Year Old Self

That was then:

This is now:

Older and wiser for sure!!!

What would you say to your 16 year old self?