Hey, little me, I know you’re in a hurry to go ride your bike around the neighborhood with your friends, and that you actually love what you’re learning about in school right now and can’t wait to go tomorrow. You’re probably learning to memorize times tables and practicing your spelling words, and even though it seems tough now, there’s nothing like when you finally get it right and get back an “A+” on a quiz with a sticker to top it all off! The adult me just wanted to take a moment to tell you: don’t take all of these little things for granted.

I love that your emotions are genuine and true

You won’t be able to see it now, but one day you will. The adult world is tough, and people aren’t always truthful. People will deceive you, and sometimes, they never tell the truth. Some adults hold their emotions in and try their best not to feel anything. Some things in life will hurt even worse than when you fall off of your bike and have scrapes all over your knees, but I know that’s tough to imagine right now.

I know you don’t always have it easy, either. You’ll suffer from bumps and bruises from playing too hard, and not everyone will want to play with you or be your friend, but I’m glad that you know you can cry when you’re not happy. You know Mommy will hold you while you let out your tears and she will kiss it all better. When you grow up, remember that it’s important to truly feel. It’s okay to cry and let it out, even when your mom isn’t around to make it all better anymore. You don’t always have to be happy or brave, even when you’re a grown up.

I love that you say what’s on your mind

You may say some things that don’t need to be said out loud, but that’s okay, and you’ll learn in time. I just love that you don’t hold back how you’re feeling. If someone or someone makes you mad or upset, you aren’t afraid to speak up. You don’t like to hold grudges about stuff because you don’t want to stay unhappy for long. You don’t hold stuff in, and a lot of adults forget that. They forget how to talk about things and speak their mind. They forget how to express themselves, but I hope you won’t, even when you grow old.

I love that you are so full of joy

Even the tiny things make you happy, and you’re always extremely positive. Sure, you may have gotten a scrape, but you still get excited when your mom puts a cool Band-Aid on it! You can even find joy in adverse situations, and a lot of adults forget how to do that. It’s a talent to be able to be happy even when it seems like things are going wrong. I hope you always remember the joy you can so easily find in even the smallest things.

I love that you are excited about life

You’re always excited about what tomorrow holds. You’re curious, adventurous, and passionate. You question everything and want to learn. I hope you remember your sense of wonder and willingness to try new things. When you become an adult, you may get settled in a daily routine. It becomes hard to go on adventures like you used to, but I hope you always remember your sense of wonder and try to keep your life interesting when you grow up.

I love your qualities and I hope you never forget them

I know you’re going to grow up and that things are going to get tough. Boys are going to break your heart and you’re going to lose friends that you thought really cared about you. You’re going to get a job and be on your own one day, and it won’t always be easy. But try not to forget about all of those little moments, even when things get tough. Don’t let becoming an adult make you forget how to feel.

When things get tough, remind yourself of the time you fell off of your bike, and the first thing you did was run to mommy. Remember when you laughed so hard you cried about a silly knock-knock joke. Feel that same joy you felt inside when you heard the ice cream truck coming and your mom gave you money to go get something, and remember what it felt like when you were eager to get up, go to school, and learn about dinosaurs.

Don’t let being an adult make you hard to the world and those around you, and never forget that childhood is as out of reach as you might think. You’ll just be a little bit older and a little bit wiser!