GIRL,

You are not going to marry that boy. Believe your daddy—there are other fish in the sea. All of those sleepless nights and pop up visits to Virginia State blasting and singing “You gonna want me back”  from the single Throwback  off of Usher’s Confession album due to your cheating ass boyfriend is pointless. Trust me. It’s just puppy love.  You will look back in disbelief about this time and laugh uncontrollably with your girlfriends and ask them “What the f**k was I thinking? What was wrong with me?”

Speaking of girlfriends, they will still be there for you 10 years from now.   You’ll experience a breaking point with them but true friends always find their way back together. Remember to be a good friend. Call them often and don’t forget to spend time with them even when you build new friendships in college. You will appreciate their loyalty in the long run.

Oh yeah! You should reconsider your American Dream — a white picket fence surrounding your modern style brick home with your twin daughters driving their Barbie cars while your fine ass husband barbecue dinner on the grill.  All of that will not happen before your 10 year class reunion.  Be prepared for an alternative route.

Also, you won’t have your dream job as an actress or an Editor In Chief of a Teen Fashion Magazine in 2014.  You will graduate from college during a time when the economy crashes and jobs are very limited.  Try not to get too stressed about it.   Kneel down on your knees in your most humblest form and pray. Ask for the strength to keep pushing forward, the courage to leap out on faith, and the wisdom to know life is about dancing in the rain.  Everything will be just fine.  I swear.

Most importantly, a healthy lifestyle is essential to living a happy life.  So please take care of your body.  You will discover that  freshman 15 gets real for SO many people.  Luckily, it won’t happen to you. But don’t get to excited. Your little petite body will expand.  Those thighs are going to become thick and stick like glue. That belly will become jelly and those hips will get as wide as an ocean if you don’t give up junk food.  Your high metabolism won’t stay the same  forever, girl.  In fact, it will slow down and it will become harder to shed  pounds the older you’ll get.   So eat properly and exercise often  for one day your tone body will vanish like a thief in the night.

Now, I am going to stop sharing all the secrets.  I don’t want to ruin the ending of your 10 year story.  I want you to experience some things over the years because it will teach you some valuable lessons.  But here is some advice–continue to love unconditionally. Love hard & Love always. It will bring you peace and happiness during your darkest moments, even when you lose a special friend from a traumatic car crash.   Love will have a funny way of teaching you how to love again. Never ever give up on love.

Lastly, I think you will be happy with your life in 10 years—the ups, the downs, the surprises, the honors, and the achievements. Just  remember one thing, “You are the author of your own script.”  So make it memorable.

xo,

Me

P.S.

What will you write to your “Senior” year self?