Dear Christina, 33,

How you’ve been? Stressed? Feeling overwhelmed? Well let me tell you, STOP! I bet your entire head is now full of grays, prematurely. I hope by the time you’ve turned 33, you’ve learned that life is a lot less complicated if you’d just learn to breathe. I know I didn’t make it very easy for you, putting you in patterns that have passed through the years. One thing I hope you’ve understood by now is that you realize you freak out over everything inside but you’ve found someone you can open up to and let it all out. Holding it in isn’t the best way to handle that, I hope you’ve grasped that. Well, since we’re on the path of things I hoped you learned by now, I’ve made you a little list of reminders to move you along to the next 10 years.

• Remember that staring at the computer gives us headaches and you need to take breaks
• Our parents are our lifeline. Don’t forget that, even when you’re mad
• Our heart, now that’s one fragile little piece we’ve got there but one thing is for sure, it’s mendable. Stop thinking we’ll be heartbroken forever, every time your heart is broken. If we’ve married by now, Hi-FIVE! (I was worried for a second)
• Don’t give up. Seriously. Because I’ve been working really hard to try to achieve our dream so if you haven’t gotten where we want to be, remember how badly I’ve wanted this and how much I’m pushing for us to get there
• I know I challenge you with all the projects and ideas I keep stored in our brain but I can’t help it. I’m a very creative person so I hope you’ve learned to manage that by now
• If you haven’t gotten your eyes checked, do it
• On that note, I hope you stopped ignoring the doctor like the plague
• Dark chocolate will always fix things so keep spare chocolate bars around our house
• I hope you’ve traveled by now. If you haven’t, don’t forget how badly I wanted to see London and Italy, Spain and Puerto Rico, France and Japan, Morocco and the Philippines. I swear, if you haven’t gotten our passport yet, you need to be yelled at. So grab a mirror and do it. NOW! Also, if you’ve had the chance to travel, I hope you lived in some of those places. Give me something to dream about please
• If you went back to school, let me be the first to tell you how proud I am of you. I know how much I struggled with this and I’m so happy you took the steps to do it. If you haven’t, I hope you found an amazing career that you’re truly happy with and enjoy doing every day. I’ve been praying we do
• Don’t forget how to pray. Don’t forget to get on your knees and be thankful. NEVER EVER FORGET THAT please
• If you haven’t found love and you feel lonely (I know, because I’ve been there many times before), just remember how loved you are by our family and friends. If you’ve lost touch, please reach out. Remember how much I need that in order to function and be motivated. Love is powerful Christina, so engulf yourself in it
• Remember that time in your life when you felt we were going backwards and struggled with what we wanted to do with our life, think far back when we were younger. I’ve been doing that lately. Don’t you remember how focused and motivated we were to achieve your dreams? Even if you have our dream job now, I hope you push yourself to want more
• Love is so complicated. I hope you stopped trying to figure it out. It’s not something that needs to be figured out. It just IS
• The experiences I’ve put you through, I hope you learned from them. I didn’t make it easy and I understand there are moments you look back and get frustrated and mad at us but know I was learning myself and trying to figure out life so you wouldn’t have to struggle with what we’re supposed to do. Don’t forget how strong you are. Never succumb to the weakness you feel every now and then
• Think back hard, really hard. Do you remember that person who changed our life? I hope you never ever forgot and I hope you still talk to this person today
• What are you struggling with today? Did you forget that writing is our release? Open that leather bound book we’ve had forever and start writing again. I promise it will make you feel so much better. It always did for me. If you have nothing to say because I know that happens often, write to me. I miss you
• When you feel sad, think about things that don’t INVOLVE your life. Go walk somewhere, write  a letter to someone but don’t send it, take a dance class. Get out of our mind for a while. It worked for me for so long, it will for you now
• I hoped by now you stopped doubting yourself and the capabilities you have. I also hoped you stopped sharing all your good ideas all the time. GEEZUS
• I’m curious to know if you’re still a big thrifter/vintage shopper. Write me and let me know

With all that said, I hope you’re really happy. You deserve it and I’ve been working hard to instill great ethics and morals inside us so that you can learn to control all that I can’t right now. If it’s been difficult for you, read this letter thoroughly. Find the happiness in this and go out and do something. I love you and I hope you still us too. I’m looking up to you to make it big so make us proud, no matter what you do!

Always,

Christina, 23

P.S. Anyone reading this: I encourage you to write a letter to yourself 10 years from now, give it to someone who will keep it safe for 10 years (my mom will have mine) and open in then. You’ll be amazed.

Photo by Sabrina Noel Hill

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