Friend, confidant, ray of sunshine, 100 day Snapchat streak, mi corazón,

I just wanted to take a few seconds to let you know how much you matter. Not just how much you matter to me, personally, but how much better you make the world by simply living in it. I'm only eighteen, but I'm a pretty social eighteen-year-old, so I've met a lot of people in my life so far, so I'm completely confident in saying that something about you is special. You just don't know it yet. I know that this letter isn't enough to get you there, but I'm hoping it'll be a solid start. Now, prepare thyself for the mush.

You're hard-working. You're talented. You're unique. You're beautiful. You're strong. You're perfectly you. You're equipped to take on anything that comes your way. You deserve to be surrounded by people who tell you these things on a regular basis. I know more of these people will continue to find you because only terrific things are on their way to you. There may be some not so terrific things sprinkled in there, because life is unpredictable for those of us who are not Raven, but you have the inner strength necessary to both combat the negative and embrace the positive.

Things may be overwhelmingly negative at times; maybe right now is one of those times. Taking time to take care of yourself and leaning on loved ones for support, fair trade chocolate, and hugs are so, so important for you to start moving forward. Surround yourself with people who have your back, and push away those who don't have your best interests at heart. As we Medieval scholars learned this past year, dark times are never completely dark. The little bits of light that brighten these times are the parts you'll remember for a long time, and will stand out to you when you reflect back.

Nobody can as much as attempt to measure your self-worth. You define how you feel about yourself, and how you view yourself is what truly matters. No person can hinder your progress on your journey forward in life. They may try, but, at the end of the day, the fact that you consistently make the choice to continue on shows immeasurable strength and courage. No one can change that.

I know that you're going to do amazing things in the future. I will be there, every step of the way, cheering you on and baking you celebratory muffins when you do those amazing things, because when you love someone, you never, ever let them go. I hope you know how much I admire you, believe in you and love you.

Love,

Someone who loves you :')