Dear 16 year old me

I heard a segment on a morning talk radio show today entitled:  “Dear 16-year-old me.”  It is not a new concept by any means.  All of us wish we could impart the wisdom we have now into our 16 year old selves.  I have no true regrets in life.  I believe I am exactly at the point I need to be and all the decisions, good and bad, have gotten me to this point.  That being said, however, there are still some things I wish I could tell a younger version of myself.  So here is my letter.  Caveat:  this is a letter to myself from about ages 15-21, not just my 16 year old self.

Dear Younger, Less Wrinkled, Skinnier Version of Me:

Do not turn your back on God.  He is the one constant in your life. 

Listen to your parents.  They actually do know what they are talking about.  They are not trying to torture you by not letting you get into a car with boys before the age of 16.  They are trying to keep you alive, not trying to ruin your social life.  I promise.

Sex does not equal love.  At all.  Period.  End of story.

Family is more important than friends. 

That being said, it is not the number of friends you have, but the quality of the friendships you maintain.

Do not take out student loans.  They are the devil.

Do not apply for credit cards.  Save for what you want to buy and then it will feel so much better than making payments on it.  Novel idea, huh?

Tell the people you love each and every day that you do love them.

Listen.  Take a minute and really listen to what people are saying to you and take a minute to respond.

Think about the words you do say and the impact they will have on other people. 

Do not drink firewater.  It may be cinnamon flavored, but it does not taste good and tastes even worse coming back up.  Same goes for Jim Beam.

Do not procrastinate all semester, only to learn all the material for the exam by pulling an all nighter the night before.  Contrary to popular belief, “pulling an all-nighter” is not a badge of honor, more like, I was a slacker.

When you are wrong, say you are sorry and move forward, do not run away or try to avoid the person you hurt. 

Bad boys are just that…BAD with a capital B.A.D.

Remember:  If he cheated on you once, he will cheat on you again.

Your three best qualities are your integrity, your loyalty and your ability to love.  Don’t ever forget that, you idiot version of the younger me. 

Seriously, do not get that “cute little violet” tattooed on your hip to impress your new sorority sisters, because at age 33, that violet ain’t cute anymore.  Sigma Kappa forever!

Love yourself, be true to yourself, and do not compromise your integrity for anyone.

And for crying out loud, do not, I repeat do not ever wear those thigh tights i.e. Alicia Silverstone in Clueless.  They are NOT cool.

Sincerely,

An Older and Infinitely Wiser Version of You

I hope you all enjoyed my little letter.  Have a happy thursday!

Love and peace

~Andrea