A letter from Feb 04, 2025

Dear Flirtyone (31), I know just a little while ago, you wondered where you would be by now. Would you be married to a man and done with having children (can you believe you wanted three sons by this age when you were in elementary school)? It's funny how life works. I know at 14, we thought 31 would feel like you were such an "adult" or an "old head", someone incredibly sure of themselves, thriving in all ways and really a force to be reckoned with by some pretty high standards. We thought 31-year-olds would suck the fun out of everything with their "responsibilities" and their way of doing the most careful things or always worrying too much. I think we failed to realize that at this BIG AGE, we would be more careful because we have so much more to lose and that 30 anything is like being in adult preschool. Instead of learning how to spell and write our name, we are learning how taxes work, 401k(s) being matched, and how tf we are surviving Amerikkka in real time. We misunderstood the pressures of this world, and what 30-somethings are really trying to do is replicate that childhood joy we tried to skip so **** fast. *Pauses in exhaustion and the 92% of Black Women, IYKYK* What I'm ultimately trying to tell you is to spend more days bringing your childhood to life, bringing your past joys into your present and your future happiness into your RIGHT ******* NOW. Eat too much ice cream, even if it makes your tummy hurt, stay up all night watching your favorite shows as if you have no responsibilities, get a jumper and play B2K and Pretty Ricky in your mom's backyard. Do prank calls on your family, spend hours in the mirror playing dress up, try new hairstyles, play the Sims, go to a comic book store, go to a sporting event, paint a canvas the world may never see, write poetry, take plenty of pictures no matter how you feel in your body, explore your existence and put the worlds expectations of you in a plastic bag, seal it real tight and sufficate it because YOU GET TO BE YOU, THE REAL YOU, FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE MISS MAMAS!!! I know you use to love older women who would speak their mind and the drop of a dime and I am here to ask you, WHY WAIT!? You are 31 and FlirtyOne! Have fun and be present in all your accomplishments. You are a beautiful human being and no matter how many times you hear it from others you need to hear it from me! You get to live and love and be seen, heard and supported by doing so. Now, if you know me like you know me. You know I wouldn't leave you without as assignment today. YES *****, homework on your birthday. 1. Thank God 2. Bring your shoulders down from your years and thank yourself. 3. Write out 31 things you are thankful for and send it to yourself for birthday 32. 4. Do something 13 year old you always wanted to do, big or small. 5. Look in the mirror and pray and meditate that you always recognize yourself in the most authentic way. Bonus: Kiss your girlfriend because I know she isn't far away from you. Happy Birthday beautiful!!! Here's to 31!!! You're living in your answered prayers!