A letter from May 16th, 2022

Dear R.E.W. Hi, it’s me! You, from 2022. I’m messaging you for an English assignment. I’m supposed to answer these questions: Introduce your 8th grade self, including what is most important to you right now. What are you most proud of in your life so far? What do you want to be proud of in four years (at the end of your Senior year)? What has been your biggest struggle this year? How have you managed it? Do you have any predictions about how you, your family and friends, or the world will change in the next four years? List some goals you have for yourself in education, hobbies, relationships, etc. If you could give your graduating self ONE piece of advice, what would it be? Anything else you want to say to your future self? So, what’s most important to me? I would probably say religion. It’s going pretty well. I’m trying to do good. You know, slowly progressing. I’m proud of lots of things, I don’t think there’s one over all the others, so I’ll just write one. I got good grades this year. That was pretty cool. I hope I’ll have a lot more things to be proud of when you get this. (You’ll have a lot more things?) I don’t know. Think about it. One struggle I’ve had this year is leaving behind old friends, and finding new ones. I’m trying to get really uplifting friends. I’ve been slowly hanging out with different people, as not to make my old friends feel terrible. If you don’t have some good friends (I assume you will) then go get some. This is a weird concept for me, I imagine getting a letter from my 4th-grade self. Jeez, I hope I’m not THAT immature. But then again, I guess it’ll be better if you think I’m immature, because then that means I’ve (you’ve?) matured! I hope that you actually get this someday. If you do, and you’re still sort of me, think about it. Predictions, hmm. I know that you’re definitely different than I am. Hopefully for the better. My family will be about the same, I expect. Check on the war between Russia and Ukraine for me, will you? If you don’t know already, how did it end? DID it end? My goals, next year my grades will start counting more towards my future. I hope you got good grades. Please? What have you decided to do after our mission? What’s some cool stuff that you’ve done? Hopefully you’ve been out of the country yet. I’m so jelly that some kids get to go to Spain next year. Well, fingers crossed for the future. Well, always the other ordinary goals. Spirituality, relationships, ect. Just generally being a good person. One piece of advice? What piece of advice to you give to a greater you? What you’ve forgotten? Well, if you’re not so great, get help. Please. Don’t you DARE stop reading. If you’re doing poorly, you’ll know. No matter what you tell yourself. I know you know it. You can feel it. Deep inside of you. Don’t hide it. Please, I KNOW the solution. Get help from trusted people. Just because I’m only 14, doesn’t mean that I haven’t learned some basic truths. I finished the Book of Mormon last night. And guess what? I got an answer. For real. I felt so happy all of a sudden that I really laughed out loud. I was so worried about not getting an answer, or not recognizing it, but Heavenly Father truly answered my fervent prayers. Really. I KNOW. I hope that this. This message, is what will bring you back to the light. There is nowhere that Christ’s light can not penetrate. He has sunk beond it all. THIS is your answer. THIS is the light you have been missing and searching for. But you have to let it be. You can’t be better without yourself. I know myself. I am strong. That will not go away. Not for all eternity. It’s who we are. CHOOSE to become what you need. You can do it. I know it from the bottom of my heart. You need God to heal you. You can’t do it on your own. But with him, you can take on ANYTHING. If you are still being good, then I am so proud of you. I knew you could do it. Let this be a “good job”, or a little push of confidence. Whatever you need it to be. Even though it’s a little weird, I love you. I love me too. I love us. We’re pretty awesome. Bring it on, life. I can take you. So can you. We got this, you confident queen! Regan W. 5/16/22 (p.s. how’s dating going?) (;