Dear Younger Me,

You don't know me right now, but someday you will. At times, you wish you wouldn't know me because of all the pain, tears, trauma, change, and hurt I caused you; and for that, I am so sorry.

I never intended to hurt you. I never intended for you to be someone you didn't want to be, but when I looked in the mirror, I never saw someone I liked. I always saw someone who needed to change. I never saw the once happy, full-of-life child her parents had always seen.

I saw imperfection.

I saw a girl who was extremely flawed.

So, I changed you. Slowly but surely, your personality faded. Your happiness no longer came from time spent with friends. Your smile was forced. You were no longer the extremely loud, goofy, silly, and sometimes embarrassing friend.

Younger me, there are so many things I want to tell you. So many things I want to warn you about, but I can't. And to be honest, I'm glad I can't. Because if I told you all these "warnings," you wouldn't be who you would later become: the same girl who was once so full of life--exploding with happiness and living in freedom.

You see, sometimes in life, you have to go through some really tough stuff to figure out just how good our God really is. You've got to realize that life is so much more than what you're going through because it's all going to end up exactly how God planned it to be. God has a way of making every single circumstance in our lives turn out beautifully in His timing--if only we will trust Him. Even though things may seem like they'll never get better, keep pushing through the hard times. And never stop praying, because God will never stop being there. Ever. He is in control, and He knows you far better than you know yourself.

If there are any words of encouragement I could tell you, here they are.

You are enough.

You are strong.

You are loved.

Go with the flow, and don't be afraid to try something new. (You just might surprise yourself.)

Hang out with your friends.

Eat that extra fry. You won't wake up weighing 27 pounds more the next morning. I promise.

You won't gain a million pounds over a missed workout because you decided to hang out with your friends. But, you will gain friendships, memories, much-needed laughs, victory over the enemy, and your life back.

Be nice to your mother. She loves you more than you could ever imagine. Seriously, though.

Spend time with those who mean the most to you.

Never forget how much your family loves you and means to you.

Always remember WHO you belong to.

Stop trying to win the world's approval.

You are beautiful the way you are.

You are cherished.

YOU MATTER.

Numbers don't determine your worth.

Never miss an opportunity to tell someone how much you love him/her.

Your heart will be broken.

Guys can be kinda jerkish at times.

So can girls. They are dramatic and mean.

Your best friend will hurt you.

You will hurt her, too, so be careful with your words, and love her anyways.

Life is tough.

You'll change your major 3 or 7 times.

You will cry.

You will regret.

Most importantly, YOU ARE GOING TO MAKE IT.