Thursday, November 19, 2009

If I could write a letter to me...

Dear 18 year old Brittany,


It hasn't been many years since I was you- or you were me. This is kind of tricky. Never the less here goes nothing.

You are right on the brink of your future. School is over, and I promise you didn't appreciate it nearly enough. You'll miss it now that its over. You are now starting art school in June, and it'll be some of the best and worst moments of your entire life. Even with that being said, don't hesitate. It is only the start of a beautiful adventure.

There will be a horrible moment that happens. One that devastates your life. I want you to know that you handle it well. You are strong, remember that. The only thing I wish is that you wouldn't run. Stay strong, and hold firm. Continue your education. Running away won't solve anything, but then again... It's your path. It will lead you to where you are supposed to be.

Eventually God will bring you back to reality. He will show you that he loves you very much. You will heal and forgive, but it'll be the hardest thing you'll ever have to do. Forgiveness isn't easy. Not when its real. It'll be worth it for your soul. I am so proud of that decision!

Your road is going to lead you to a man. You are going to think you are 100% head over heals in love. Maybe you are. This man is going to give you a future, but not the future that you think. He won't be your husband. I'm sorry. It'll hurt when the reality sinks in, but just know that he is giving you a beautiful-wonderful gift! One that will change your life, and makes you smile each and every day. You will always love him. Don't hesitate to love. Not even for a moment. With each heartache brings a new opportunity. This is a road that you want to head down. It might not be perfect, but honey, nothing is!

Enjoy every second of your new journey. Work hard. Save. Don't spend nearly as much money. Be more pro-active. You will regret a lot of things, but just know you'll be okay. You are going to travel the country, and life will be a little up in the air sometimes, but like I said: Enjoy it. It goes fast! Then one day when you're almost my age, you are going to wake up one day and realize that you are in the exact place, at the exact moment that you are supposed to be. That there are no accidents, and that God had this planned out long before you ever knew. He didn't make the bad things happen, but he did allow them. He knew that you needed to be brought to your knees some times. He knew that you were going to be a great mother. He knew that you would meet people that would change your life. SO no matter what happens, no that it'll be better in the end, and if it's not better, then its not the end. Keep going!

To end this, I pray that as you (we) get older that our wisdom only grows. That we have less mistakes, and more success. That we laugh more, love more, and live more. That we listen to God more, and fashion magazines less. That we enjoy Saturday mornings with our son, and less time worrying about things that have yet to happen. I hope we appreciate our family, and tell them every day just how much we love them. That we own up to our mistakes and take care of them. That we are humble, and honest. That we go into this life with our heads held high. Mistakes will be made, but with each failure comes a lesson. That we work hard to make life better, and that when we are fifty we can look back at our life and smile.

Lets leave a legacy of love. In the end, that's all that matters. :)

Love,
Your 22 year old self.


*This is in response to a blog my mom posted at "My life interupted" (again..check it out if you haven't.) She wrote a really powerful post to her 13 year old self. I started doing it for my 13 year old self, but decided against it. I think I needed the most advice when I was 18. It was surprisingly theraputic... Thanks for the challange mom. :) I would recommend it to any one of you! I'd love to hear yours!

8 comments:

Lori said...

If I could stop time I would. With all of my heart I would make it so you didn't have to know the hurt that life sometimes brings. I am thankful that God brought you back to the place of forgiveness. It is the right place to be.

I have never been prouder of you my dear sweet daughter. You are truly amazing. To the moon and back....XXOO Mom

Unknown said...

Hi Brittany! I was at your Mommy's blog this morning and I read her great post! When I saw your comment and it said she was your Mom, I just had to come and meet you! I love your mom's posts! And I ADORE your nephew and niece that live with her. Oh my gosh. And your little Aiden is the cutest thing on the planet!

I love that you changed this post around and made it fit you! That is the great thing about writer's workshop : ) I change the prompt to fit me every week too : ). Next week you can look at the prompts on Tuesday and then link up on Thursday : ) That way you can get a little more blog traffic. So nice to meet you today!

God bless you and your very young self! You have the whole world at your fingertips : ) The whole wide world!

Lori said...

My dear sweet girl I hope you know that you are one of the main people that has given me the courage to face the secrets. It's because of how courageous you were in facing yours, that has given me courage to face mine. In reading this again this morning, I just had to come back and say thank you for all the love, support and courage you have given me. You are an incredible young woman that has more wisdom than most people your age. To the moon and back, XXOO

Busy Bee Suz said...

This is great...good stuff to put on paper (or blog)
You are so wise beyond your years...you are an inspiration to young women and to Moms raising girls!!

~Tom~ said...

When I woke up this morning, I was not planing to start the day with a lump in my throat and a tear in my eye. But, thanks to you, that is just how it started. Beautiful post!

Kit Kat said...

Brittany, You and your mother are so brave and strong. I love that you don't regret your past in the ways that so many people do, but are willing to live and learn from it. Honestly, I wish that I could post a letter to myself, but I have blocked out so many memories instead of embracing them and learning from them that I don't even know what I would say. You and your mother inspire me.
Love, your cousin!

Joanna Jenkins said...

I just came over from your Mom's blog and now I'm crying even harder. So all I will say is God bless and this was a stunning post.
xo

RileyScott said...

Awesome post, loved it