Hey boo,
It’s you. An older you, I wouldn’t say wiser but I’m definitely older, five years to be exact. I’m writing to you because at the moment I’m six weeks away from graduation and I can’t help laughing at the memory of what it felt like to be in your position.
I know you may be a little confused right now and I’m aware that this new stage of your life may look scary. But let me give you some insight into your future: everything will go according to plan.
“What plan?” You ask. There isn’t one. You never had one to start with. That’s one less thing to worry about.
In the next four years you’re going to make so many choices, some good; others aren’t going to be as good but looking back at them now they weren’t bad either. They were needed.
You’re going to make new friends and lose old ones. Don’t worry, you didn’t need them. Your new friends are going to love you no matter what the circumstance and sometimes you’re going to want to kill them in very special ways, that’s how you know your friendship is going to last. That said not everyone is going to like you and you aren’t going to like everyone. As a matter of fact, there will come a time in your college career in which you won’t like anyone. Those are going to be sadder times, you will have a lot of time to internalize your life and your decisions and you’re going to begin asking many questions. They will be left unanswered indefinitely but it is good you asked them.
The most important thing is that you are young, beautiful and stupid and that is the best part. Life is going to throw so much at you — good and bad — I need you to say yes to everything. No matter what it is. I need you to breathe and live. There aren’t going to be any more opportunities like these. So take the trip alone across the world. Study abroad, take your friend up on a trip to his or her home country; who knows you might meet someone new. And they are probably going to teach you something very important, even if you only met them for a day or two.
There is so much I need you to do but I’d rather not say what it is. So I’m going to leave it at don’t worry too much, I know you do, but everything is going to be okay and send you on your way. You can do this; that is one promise I can make.
You are loved,
Shekhinah Raine
P.S. There’s going to be a girl in your second semester of university with a beautiful smile. She’s going to be about 3 years older and one night you guys are going to be having a friend date while walking down a beautiful side of town. Trust me when the day comes you will know. I need you to kiss her. It will be the best mistake you will ever make.
