Series: Letter to My Younger Self
By: Celia Vergon
Tags: Teenagers, Live Through This, Mental Health, Teens, Growing Up

Hey girl,

Listen, you feel alone right now I know that, but it won’t always feel like this. The kids at school are mean, the boys don’t like you that much and the ones that do only see your body. I’m so proud of you for holding your ground with them. I promise you that it will have been worth it. You’ll find people that love you for your heart and the things you think and the masterpieces you create. There will be a boy that will come into your life when you’re around 19 years old. He’ll seem like he’s everything but I promise you he’s not. Enjoy him, but don’t get too attached. You’ll sacrifice a lot for the sake of a connection and your sweet naive heart won’t see anything wrong with that.

I want you to fight a little bit more for your dreams. You have to work hard for the things you want, no matter how talented you are. Don’t worry about college, you’ll figure that out. For now, work out, eat healthy, and apply to modeling agencies everywhere. They love 16 year olds. You’ll feel a really deep sense of FOMO (fear of missing out) by missing parties and hangouts because you’re following your modeling dreams, but I swear you won’t have missed anything incredible. You’ll make a lot of friends and you’ll go far after high school. You will fall in love with so many incredible places and cities across the world. Don’t ever be afraid to leave. You’ll realize eventually that with courage, you can do anything. So for now try out for everything at school, talk to everyone, and follow your curiosity. I know the opinions of others seem loud and you’ll feel like you need their validation but you don’t! Not everyone around you was raised by a French mother with so much love, so be kind to others, even when they’re mean to you, you know?

Mom and Dad will stop fighting eventually, but for now, enjoy having them both around all the time. Dad is wounded, that’s why he yells. He doesn’t mean to scare you. When he finds out that’s how you feel, it’ll break his heart. Believe me when I say he loves you. You won’t see it right now but you will eventually. Sit and listen to Mamie and Papi more. They will seem to have gone quickly in between the excitement of being young and the freedom of summers in the South of France. Their love seems really intense, but you won’t find anything like it elsewhere. Ask them questions about everything and ask them about stories from when they were younger. They traveled a lot. Ask them about their trips and adventures. You’ll need those words later on when they’re no longer here. You’ll find that out when it’s a bit too late.

Don’t worry too much about your friends, they seem great, but you’ll learn the importance of loyalty and respect a little later. Be kind and people will like you for that, you’ll see. You’ll also have many friends from around the world someday. For now, hold on to the true ones you have in your life and don’t be afraid to leave a few.

Hold onto God and look to him for everything. Don’t start thinking you can do life without him, that part gets a different kind of hard. You’ll develop a thing called anxiety and you’ll try to run from that feeling, but it’ll stick with you wherever you go. You’ll learn how to deal with it. Some days you’ll be so angry it’s attached to you but you’ll learn how to help others with theirs. You’ll learn everything blissful about becoming a woman. There will be many seasons that don’t make sense, some in the worst ways and some in the best.

The biggest thing I want you to do right now is to simply do something everyday for the things you want in life, just wanting it isn’t good enough. Share the love you have with everyone you meet, and always know how blessed you are, no matter how little you might seem to have.

You will kick ass in life, at least until 22 years old. But from what I’m seeing so far it’s going to be good, dude.

Love ya, xx