Hey you,

You know that dog food that you eat because it makes your sister laugh, and making her laugh is important to you? Don't eat it. I know it's easy to blame your baby brother for that thing you broke, but don't do it. Instead, you know how you stand up for your brother when he cries, do that. Or when your sisters want to play dress up, do that too. You know that Big Kids Club that you so badly want to join? Don't worry about it. You're growing up just fine.

Keep that innocence, keep being that wild child that everyone thought was so funny. Don't be so quick to grow up just because you feel like you have to, because you don't. When it's time to grow up, you will do that. Stay that imaginative little girl who thinks the "Little Mermaid" is named after her, and words like "poop" are funny. Don't be so quick to grow up, because the reality is ugly.

Growing up means finding that your fantasies are just that and your nightmares are reality.

In this day and age some girls are wearing make up sooner, they're looking and acting like 20-year-olds and they don't necessarily respect themselves. You're lucky you didn't have to worry about that, because if you don't do that stuff now, you don't fit in.

Get to High School, play your sports, do your homework, have a social life, but don't go out with the "cool kids" who spend their Friday nights at parties getting drunk. You have plenty of time for all of that. High school is only a small fraction of your life, you'll learn that it means nothing. Keep the friends that are there for you, the ones that you have fun with and respect you, the ones who treat you like a friend would, but leave behind the people you thought were your friends, who only say hi to you when they run into you at the store.

Get to college with confidence in yourself, quit worrying about what you did wrong in the past and be proud of who you've become. The only things in the past that matter are your family, and your close friends, and all of your successions who've made you who you are.

You'll find that there's a lot of diversity once you leave your small town. You'll find that some people's beliefs don't match your own. That's alright though, they'll respect you if you respect them as well. If you're sitting in your college class and your peers are bashing those who don't think feminism is important, or don't necessarily agree with gay rights; don't say anything, or you can let them know that not all of those people are bad, they just have different views.

At college, go out with your friends, join clubs and meet people, go to class, go to the library, but remember to stay young with a sense of responsibility. Remember who your friends are, go home and see your family because they are the only people who would never leave you, and sharing memories with them keep you feeling young.

You're sitting in that chair holding your little sister's hand for punishment, you're angry with her, you're angry with your mother. You were naughty. But little did you know then that you would appreciate holding her hand, that you would laugh at the memories, that you cherish it forever. Don't be so quick to grow up, don't be so quick to lose that innocence of yours. Appreciate the punishments, the sister fights, the brother snuggles because your little brother isn't so little anymore. And neither are you.