Dear future me,
First of all, let's just remember this moment. The moment you are twenty and have almost no responsibilities. The moment you can stay up way too late talking with the people you live with, and you can wake up early to get to work. This time in my life, while I may not realize it now, is foundational. It may be hard, exhausting, and at times I have been unsure how I will make it through, but let’s remember this moment because you are the proof that it is worth it.
Now, there’s a couple things twenty year old me wants to remind you
- Don’t forget your worth.
You are amazing, and are worth fighting for. Not just in dating relationships, in friendships, and in every situation. Do not lose who you are because you are so worth it. It is more than worth it in fact to know your worth. If I know it now, as a twenty year old, broke, single, college student you should at least try to remember how hard it was to get here and how worth it you are. I pray you will never be able to stop fighting to be fully you. Don’t stop fighting because you are worth fighting for. - Please, for the love of God, do not forget how good you feel after a good workout.
Ya, being too sore to even sit on the toilet is literally what the center of hell must be, but honestly… you know you love it. There is no better way to clear your head than a good workout, so please do not forget this. It will be good for you in so many ways (plus it gives you an excuse to eat cheeseburgers). - I hope you laugh.
You have always been able to find the humor in any situation. This simple act has gotten you through so much. You can laugh at yourself, at the how terrible the situation you are in is, at how awkward you are (I hope you’re still awkward bc it makes me laugh). If you haven’t laughed in awhile, let yourself laugh. Sit down and watch Emperor’s New Groove (the epitome of comedy), grab some ice cream (you still like ice cream right? I hope so), and laugh so hard your abs hurt and tears are running down your face. - Remember to dance.
This might not seem important, but I cannot stress enough how much you should remember to dance around your room listening to Jesse McCartney. Dance through your room, scream the wrong lyrics, macarena until your arms hurt, girl. Just dance. - I hope you are passionate.
Right now, at twenty years old, I am passionate about so much. I don’t even want to think about what life would be like without passion. I hope you're passionate about everything you do, and you run hard after the passions you have. - I hope you have a dog.
Yeah, I said it. I hope you have at least one (probably more) dog to love so much you want to die when you have to leave it at home so you can go to work. Dogs are God’s gift to us, why not accept them? - Love with your whole heart.
Recently, I've been loving each person as if they won't see any kindness the rest of the day. I hope you remember this, and are still loving fiercely. I hope you are loved by your friends, and you show them how much you appreciate them. I pray your relationships will overflow with the kind of love that hits you in the face with joy. Future me, if you forget everything else, remember this: Love fiercely.
Love,
Your 20 year old self
PS: You are great and hilarious right now, so I cannot wait to see how much more great and funny you are in the future