A letter from Sep 15, 2023

Dear FutureMe, Congratulations!!! You made it .... You achieved all your goals and you made 18 year old you soooo proud of how far you have come. While you are alive and thriving and in your dream University (I hope you got in) I want you take a moment and remember all the damage you put yourself through to get where you are. Remember all those mental breakdowns you had, all those times your skin broke out because of stress, all those parties you sacrificed, all those cute guys you said no to because you wanted to focus on getting a straight A, all those times you puked and got sick before exams because of ur horrific mental health and all those times you criticised yourself over letting a molestation incident getting in the way of making your parents proud. I want you to remember how you took on the burden of going through something so disgusting in EIGHTH GRADE alone because of the major fight your parents had and you didn't want to add on to their worries. Remember how u messed up your maths exam in eighth and failed and how u destroyed your mental health by by making yourself feel guilty for not screaming for help, getting into depression and messing up your menstrual cycle ? The 14 year old you didn't even think that you would ever go to college and would probably end up like a stay at home wife and settle for the bare minimum man while being a free domestic labour just like the women in your community.... Remember all those time you tried your freaking best but still couldn't get an A no matter how hard you tried ? Look at you now ....at the top of your class in your dream university ! I hope you graduate at the top of your freaking class. I am sooo proud of you and the woman you have grown into. I want you to know how strong and incredibly hard working you are. You also have friends something teenage you always longed for and an incredible guy that makes you believe in love again.... Congratulations for getting the life you always wanted. I know there are still some tough times but I want you to take a moment and appreciate things or people you didn't have before .... that I don't have now. This message is supposed to remind you how it always get better if you hang in there. Keep dreaming and never let anyone take your shine .... Happy 21st birthday 🎂 With love , 18 year old clinically anxious and doesn't know what the hell she is doing you