An Open Letter to High-School Me

Note: The following is an open letter to teenage me. I hope that this letter helps me come in terms with my teenage years and appreciate myself. I will be doing more of open letters to not only me but other people too.


Dear High-School Lisa,

How are you doing with your teenage life? How is the family and your stuffed animals?

To your disappointment, I don't wear contacts.  I still wear glasses. It's troublesome doing capoeira floreios with them on. (Yes, you're actually doing martial arts and your legs will be marvelous.) However, I like wearing them. My glasses build up my character, and it made me who I am today. And I feel pretty awesome with them on.

So you're wondering what changes have happened. Since I got to college, I learned more than just Freud's sex talk and how to party like a college student. You won't draw as often as you like, you'll have more boy men trouble, and you'll have to survive on your own with little to no help.

These things sound pretty scary and make you never want to grow up. After being thrown in a pit called college and experienced so man things, I will list some important lessons for you to learn.

1. Life won't stop kicking your ass.

Do you think as you get older that life will be any easier? Hell no. That acne of yours still persists with me today. Time and distance won't stop Mom and Dad from nagging you. There will still be bad days coming your way. That doesn't mean you give up. Life will still knock the wind out of you. What will change is your attitude. It's all about perspective and your mindset, little one.

2. Do things for yourself

You can't please everybody. You may please some people if you do one thing, but disappoint others if you do that same exact thing. In the end, the person you have to the please the most is you. It has taken me years to realize this, but here is the knowledge I bestow to you. If you're worried that someone won't like you for who you are and what you want to do,  fuck them. They don't know who you really are and what makes you happy. Treat yo' self and do what will benefit you.

3. I love you.

(I warn you: this will be the longest section. Get some tissues and your stuffed rabbit out.)

You're probably confused and thinking what drugs I was on to tell you that. You think it's impossible for anyone to love you. I'm very sure the moment you saw future-Lisa (aka me), you set your gaze at a beautiful swan floating gracefully in the middle of lake with everybody in awe. And when you look at yourself, I know you're thinking that you're the ugly duckling or the ugly version of me.
I will tell you two things: 1) I'm not a swan. I'll drown if I was put in the middle of lake. 2) You're not the ugly duckling.

Let me list some awesome things about you: you're a hard working student, you're punctual, and you're doing what you love. You're brave for dealing with acne and not wearing any make-up to cover it up. (I'm guilty of this.) Never think that you're the worst version of me. You're pretty damn adorable so at least think of yourself as a duckling.  Thanks to your hard work and perseverance in teenhood, here I am now typing up this letter to you. It's pretty obvious that you're alive and well in the future.

Remember to love yourself and keep moving on. Find a silver lining in everything. Do whatever floats your boat and makes you happy, little one. No matter what you're doing, even if you're sneaking behind mom and dad's back for your secret boyfriend, I'm still proud of you.

Love,
Lisa (aka the college version of you)