Dear Middle School Me,
I know how miserable middle school is. I know that it’s all so overwhelming because there’s a million more people to meet and impress compared to the small community you had in elementary school. I know that there’s pressure about the clothes you wear, the way you style your hair, if you wear makeup or not, and if you like the same music as the cool kids. I know that there’s that heavy pressure to fit in, to be accepted by your peers. On top of that, I know there is the demand to get A’s in all your classes, even though it’s the first time you’ve had to balance seven different subjects.
Just so you know, you can relax with all that. Don’t get me wrong, that 4.00 GPA from seventh grade is a great and amazing accomplishment, but it won’t matter that much once you move on to high school and then on to college. And no one will remember if you wore Aeropostale or a T-shirt from your mom’s closet or if you wore your hair in a ponytail instead of wearing it down. None of that really matters. The only thing that matters is that you’re compassionate and that you’re cheerful; that you find friends who will like you because you’re you and not because you wear the most expensive clothes from the mall—these are the friends that you will keep close to your heart forever. Focus more on how you are positively building your character and positively effecting the world around you rather than the material things that make up the universe of a middle school girl. And, I don’t want to say that your grades in middle school don’t matter, but concentrate more on the study habits that you develop rather than the grades you get. You’re going to need to perfect those study habits—let me tell you, because knowing how to effectively study is the key to surviving in college.
It does get better. I know you feel small and shy right now, like a turtle who never wants to come out of her shell. I know that you feel intimidated because it seems like all your classmates are confident and comfortable with who they are already and you feel like you've been left in the dust. It’s okay, because your time will come. In time, you will have the confidence of a thousand kings and you, too, will be comfortable with your skin and with who you were born to be. You’ll have an abundance of confidence, so much that you feel borderline obnoxious most times. Just remember: fake your confidence until it becomes real—because it does become real eventually.
Not only that, but you’ll be happy with your life and with yourself. You will find the puzzle of friends in which you were the missing piece. There will be no need to impress the world with your clothes or with your hair or with your makeup (but your eyebrows do get better), but rather you will focus more on how to impress the world with your kindness and your graciousness. That will be more important to you than anything else. One day, and that day will come soon, you will find yourself and you will be more than content. You will know who you are, what makes you up, and what you want from life. You will continue to grow into a beautiful person.
Don’t completely disregard your experiences from middle school, though. No matter how embarrassing or awful some experiences and memories may be, they make up who you are and who you become in the end. Nevertheless, middle school will only consist of stories that you tell your children one day, so don’t dwell on your time there too much. There is a whole world out there; there is a whole lot more that life can offer. So, don't worry. You will be fine.
Sincerely,
Your Future Self
