In all seriousness, though, 30 is significant. As a person dear to my heart said, "You only get to celebrate, what? Nine decades?" That certainly put things in perspective when I told him that 30 really didn't feel much different. We only have a finite amount of time in our earthly bodies, and we must take a moment to take stock and appreciate the experience. Nothing serves as better milestone than a birthday.
Another dear friend of mine gave me the book, What I Know Now: Letters to My Younger Self. Reading through the collection, I began to think what I would tell my younger self. There are so many younger selves, however, to choose from! The imaginative pre-teen. The conflicted and insecure teenager. The searching and struggling young 20-something. As someone who does not believe in regrets (because all my experiences shaped who I am today), it is difficult task to think what my younger self needed to hear, but I will give it a shot. Hopefully, my current self will take some of the advice, too.
Dear Sarah,
At the end of a grueling 2 years of Junior High, during which you faced academic, athletic, and social challenges beyond anything you dealt with before, you are now facing the prospect of High School. I can already see the snarl forming on your face and the dark cloud over your head. I caution you, however, to view the next 4 years not as a test of survival, but as a brand spanking new opportunity, fresh and clean (with no mistakes). This is the time when you must marshal all of your talents and change your attitude. Sure, some of your classmates are not, nor will they ever be, your friends, but don't lump them all together. The world is not a game of you versus them. Don't limit your experience to what feels safe and comfortable, because I fear you will miss out on all the FUN. Don't wait until college to be brave. Say "yes" to yourself now. Life will grant you many blessings over the years, but only when you say yes to believing in yourself. Don't find the excuses before you even try. Play soccer. Join the swim team. Talk to the cute boy. Travel during summers. What else are you going to use all your paychecks from Wegmans for? Or if you are so stuck on saving up cash, go North and work on the River for the summer. Never again will you have so much available time and resources to experience the world, expand your horizons, and maybe meet some new and fabulous people that don't even go to your high school (eek!!). Allow your black and white world a little more gray, and that means giving yourself a little more slack. You have a strong will, Sarah, and a loving heart. Both of these gifts will get you further than you ever thought possible, but only when you say yes. And when you say yes, beware, the time zips by faster than ever. But that's what happens when you are having FUN.
With love,
Your happy, fun-lovin' 30-year-old self
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