Monday, May 01, 2006

A Letter to My Younger Self

I noticed loads of people have been getting in on this letter to younger self lark as advocated by Oprah. After reading Adaure's letter, I've decided to also hop on that bandwagon.

Dear wee Efe,

I just thought I'd drop in on you to see how you are doing and give you the benefit of having navigated the rocky terrain that lies ahead. There is no clarity like that provided by hindsight, so listen up...This is important.

I know you feel slightly out of sync with the rest of the world, but don't worry most people do too they just hide it better than you. This isn't a bad thing, your ability to recognise that you are unique and embrace it is what will later set you apart from the masses. Take a moment to enjoy the beauty of your life, because every moment is precious and as ridiculous as it seems, you will not be able to hold on to this period in your life forever. I know you think that being so young is tedious, but trust me adulthood is not all it is cracked up to be..Except for the shoes.

Ignore all the people who tease you about being skinny, it isn't important and besides in a few years they will all be asking you for advice on how to lose weight. You have this tendency to believe that everyone has good in them, and this is a beautiful thing. It will very often lead to heartache, but don't let this frighten you. Through all that pain will come some of the most beautiful moments in your life and you cannot receive them if you aren't open to new things.

Pay more attention to the world around you. You spend so much time daydreaming with your head in the clouds that you often miss the little nuances that herald major changes in your world. I can't prevent the major changes, but I can assure you that you are stronger than you know and you have an uncanny ability to effect change. As our friend Peter Parker would say "with great power comes great responsibility" and to that end, you have to use your abilities for good. If you simply bury your head in the sand and hope it all passes you will end up living with regrets, and trust me, there is nothing worse.

Your middle-child syndrome will eventually go away, and you will stop feeling so invisible. Contrary to the opinion of that those nasty girls in school, you are not ugly..matter of fact you are beautiful. Mum wasn't just saying that to make you feel better. But the thing is, you will come to understand that all of that is irrelevant, and that you have already been armed with everything you need to succeed in life and become a fully evolved well-rounded human being. Believe it or not, down the road you will become fearless and the only person who can hold you back is yourself.

Keep living, learning and loving....the best is yet to come.

Love

Not so wee Efe

2 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

"Keep living, learning and loving....the best is yet to come."

Love that....

Nice letter, seen a lot of it, and didnt know it was some trend started by Oprah!!

9:48 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I am a teacher and I did a lesson a few weeks back based on the book, Letter to My Younger Self. I should have know this was started by Oprah. My students read samples from the book and then wrote their own letters. After reading yours though, I am going to revisit the assignment and share your letter if it is okay with you. I have one class of all middle school girls and your letter would definitely strike a chord with them. Very well written and heartfelt. Thank you. Love the Peter Parker reference!

Sincerely,
NJ Teacher

10:26 AM  

Post a Comment

<< Home