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!