I saw this idea on another blog a few weeks ago and I thought it was pretty insightful. I started wondering what I would have said to myself at 14 years old - knowing what I know now. Worth a try, I guess.
Dear 14 Year Old Me,
Life is good and it's all worth it - I promise.
You may think that you know everything and that mom and dad are dummies stuck in the "old days" but they know so much more than you think. Mom is going to be your best friend - just watch and see. Let them talk to you and listen to them. Appreciate all they do for you. It is always in your best interest. In the future you will crave their love, support and advice.
Don't be mad at mom when you wake up the first day of summer break after your sophomore year of high school and she greets you with an airline ticket to spend the summer in Utah. It's the best things they can do for you at that time. The boy is not worth it. The situation is nothing but trouble. I promise. That summer will be one of the most memorable summers of your life. Tennis, grandpa's buttermilk pancakes, grandma's cute jokes, late nights, laughing and cousins - you will remember that summer forever and so will they.
Don't make so many dumb choices in high school. You will know what I am talking about when you get there. There is a lot more to life than what you can see right now. Be nice to people and include everyone. There are people who need friends and I know you can be a good friend to them.
High school is important, but not that important. When you leave for college try to not be so homesick for the high school days. You will have a lot more fun if you try to move on and decide who YOU are and who you want to be. Make that decision early. You will need a strong testimony in your beliefs because it won't be that long before you meet the guy of your dreams.
And when you meet the guy of your dreams . . . don't say no when he asks you out on the first date! I know you may think that you night class of Personality Theories of Psychology is so important - but it won't hurt to miss one class. You never miss class - it's okay to bail out on Jung's personality theory lecture for this guy. You won't remember the lecture anyway. But after that - make sure you go to every class. You are going to LOVE the university experience. You will learn a lot more than what you read in text books. These are experiences that will stay with you forever.
And now back to this dream guy. Your intuition is right. He is the perfect fit for you. Go ahead and take the leap of marriage even though you are 19 and still have two more years of undergraduate schooling left. I know it goes against everything you have preached (getting married young) - but marriage at 19 is good for you with this guy. Somehow it all works out.
Don't let anyone tell you that your husband's schooling is more important than yours. You can both go to school and make ends meet at home. And one other thing on the schooling subject . . . go with your gut and get a degree in psychology. It is going to help you more than you know.
Enjoy the time you have with your husband. You will cherish the years you have together before children come. Those years will be simple and sweet times for you to remember when life gets difficult.
And when the children start - well, I am not going to give anything away on that topic. It's not going to be easy. You will grow more than you ever have before. But I will tell you that your first child is a little boy who will change your life forever. Nothing will ever be the same after his arrival - but it really will be for the better. I promise. Cherish every single moment you have with this little guy and remember to absorb all the peace and comfort you feel when you are around him. That feeling can never be duplicated. Love him. Tell him about his daddy. Hold him as much as you can and know that difficult times can often be happy times too.
When difficult times come stay close to your husband and the knowledge you have of the gospel. Sometimes hope will be what gets you through a day. Don't let anyone tell you how to grieve. It is an individual process. Don't be too hard on yourself.
Life is good. You are tough and motivated. Stick to your gut and always follow the spirit. Life has ups and downs - but there is reason to be happy.
Love,
26 Year Old Me
5 comments:
Lindsay...this is Kali (Natali McKee's sister) Massey. I went to Cheyenne High School and was in the Tule Springs Stake for a while. You look really familiar, but I'm not sure if you went to Chey-town as well. Nonetheless, my sister has your link on her blog and I clicked it to see if it was our Linz from Cheyenne. I was so happy to have stumbled upon your blog!!! In 2005/6, I started to die because of a doctor's mistake and had to live through it. I've struggled and on one particular day I was throwing myself a 'woe is me' party. It wasn't that fun. Then I read your blog and just bawled my eyes out. So, sorry! I don't mean to be a freak, but your faith, hope and honesty REALLY lifted me!!! Thanks for sharing! =) Kali
(P.S. My blog is private because I'm now teaching 4th grade in St. George and have a class blog. So, WCSD requested that we put our blogs on private...if you ever wanna check mine out, let me know. lafsalott {at} gee male.
com). =)
What a cute idea! It makes me think of the Brad Paisley song (which I love). Don't we always make silly mistakes as we grow up that seem like the world of importance then, but in the end, don't really matter. Wonder how the world would change if all teenagers could understand that. :)
Lindsay-
I am Kooper's mommy from Sarah Garner's Latter-Day Keepsakes angel mommies blog. I just wanted to say that your story is inspirational. I have read your blog from begining to end. You are so strong and I admire you. I love the idea of a letter to yourself. It brought tears to my eyes thinking of what I might put into a letter to myself.
-Kami
I love this letter idea. Hmmm.. I wonder if my 14 year old self would have believed and/or paid attention to my 30-year old self? It sounds like you did!
love the idea of a letter to yourself. Wow how many things I would have changed if I could and yet others I would have left exactly the same. My miamaid advisor made us write ourselves a letter when we were 14 to our 18 year old selves and I received that when I was at college. Very funny and interesting to read. We should write to ourselves when were 35. I hope mine includes went down the slide to Jason and Lindsays' house (you know the one that connects our homes together)and our kids played together all night!! love ya!
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