Dear Younger Me

By Christine Brown, Milton Keynes College

Dear Younger me,

I know you are hurting more than you let on behind your laughter. There are questions you don’t ask aloud, the fears you carry quietly. Wishing if I could be beside you now, holding your hand and telling you it will be ok.

You are loved, just the way you are. You don’t need to shrink yourself to be accepted or choose love like it is something outside of you. One day, you will understand that the love you give so freely to others is the same love you need in return.

I promise love is not always roses and fireworks. Sometimes we just need a quiet morning and a safe space, so be kind to yourself and trust in you. You are lovable just the way you are.

I know you feel like you are behind sometimes and that you are missing something everyone else has figured out, but you do not. You are right where you need to be, learning to forgive yourself and trust in people that matter to you – that also takes courage. You will experience love in beautiful and unexpected ways – in friends and in families, a kind act of selflessness and, most importantly, in yourself.

There will be days when love feels like a sharp ache, when it leaves or when it changes, or when you wonder if any of it was really real. I promise the pain doesn’t last forever.

The confusion, the loneliness, the uncertainty – they will pass, and, in their place, you will find clarity and peace. You will find people who see you for what you are. You will become someone you never imagined you could be, and you will be so proud of what you have accomplished.

So, please be patient with yourself. Be gentle with your heart. Keep dreaming, keep the light in you burning and don’t ever forget how far you have come.

From

Your Future Self