Dear Younger Me,

Oh, look at you. You have such beautiful eyes. Your heart is young, mind clear. I remember you like it was yesterday. Sometimes I wish it was just yesterday when I was you, but I can't turn back time. So instead, here are some things I would like to share with you.

You are young, and because you are young, you can dream without pressure. Younger me, you don't have the pressure of making life changing decisions. There is no dependency on making money to pay your own bills. There are so many things you can do. You can dream of being an astronaut because you don't have a fear of heights yet. You can imagine yourself as a beautiful princess who doesn't need a prince because nobody has called you ugly and society hasn't taught you that you need a man to be worth something.

Younger me, you are good, and smart, and loved. I know that sometimes it feels as if the whole world is against you, but it isn't. There are people who care deeply about you and will always have your back. Don't get caught up in the "me" trend going around. Be selfless and strong. Push yourself to go out of your comfort zone, and never give up.

Listen to me now because this is important. The world is going to try to tell you that your worth is found in the material, whether it is in the things you have, the friends you know or the size of your clothes. It's a lie and a trap. Once you start believing it, it's hard to stop. Don't slip into the flow of mediocrity. Try harder, learn more and love always. There are going to come times where all seems hopeless. You are going to become angry because things aren't turning out how you want them to. But this is the single most important thing you can remember for the rest of your life — God loves you. He loves you so deeply and so wonderfully that He came down to save you. There are going to be trials, and you will want to give up. Don't. Don't you dare give up because He didn't give up on you, or your friends from school, or even that rude customer that will walk into your work. God isn't going to give up on you either. He is always going to be there for you when you fall down, your heart is broken or even when you are so happy you could burst. Trust Him.

Younger me, you are going to struggle. Struggle in friendships, struggle with family, and with decisions that arise in life. Take your time. When all of your friends are focused on finding boyfriends and girlfriends, sit back and discover who you are. Become the woman that you would want your future husband to be with, and pray for your future husband. Be patient. Until that time, enjoy being single. Make new friends, be kind, enjoy babysitting kids and being able to give them back because one day you will have kids that you have to keep, even when they are keeping you up at all hours of the night.

Look forward to the future, but don't live in it.

Be present.