Dear Younger Self,

I see you. I see the fire in your eyes, the anger bubbling beneath your skin, the weight of every cruel word and sideways glance pressing down on your soul. I see the girl who feels invisible in the classroom, who struggles to spell words that others toss around effortlessly, or the girl who shrinks in her seat when the teacher is calling on students to stand up and perform what feels like magic on the blackboard with math equations. I see the girl who looks in the mirror with utter disgust and disdain for not looking like her sisters, who believes she will never be enough; never be loved. I see the girl who is tired—so incredibly tired—of fighting battles no one else even knows exist.

And I need you to hear me: you are not broken.

I know you think the world has already decided who you are—too different, too much, too little. But they don’t get to decide. You do. One day, you will come to understand that the very things they mock you for—the way your brain works differently, the way you feel things so deeply, the way you refuse to shrink yourself into their narrow standards—are the things that will make you powerful beyond measure.

You will find your voice. You will find your people. You will carve out a space in this world where you belong, where your gifts shine, where your heart feels safe. The words that once felt like prison bars will become the stepping stones to your purpose. The body you once resented will carry you through adventures you haven’t even dreamed of yet. And that fire inside you? It will fuel a life so full, so rich, so deeply yours.

But I need you to hold on. I need you to keep going, even when it feels impossible and you think your family, this world, would be better off without you. Because the world needs you. I need you. And one day, a young girl just like you will be looking for a light in the darkness. And you will be the one to show her the way.

With love and unwavering belief in you,

Your Future Self

Circa 1993