A Letter to Me:

Dear Me:

Things are turning out ok. You’ll be fine, but you should know a few things...

I know you’re eighteen and you feel like you’re at the top, stick it out, let yourself walk the path and for the love of all things good, please learn to forgive and get over yourself. If you’d only give up being a drama queen earlier than 1998, that would be great.

Learn to call people back, don’t be jealous and just live your own life. You’re not the coolest kid, you’ll always be chubby (but if you want to work on that, I’d sure appreciate it), but you will be surprised from time to time by how many interesting people you’ll come across.

Use less hairspray and don’t buy blue eye shadow.

Buy stock in MacIntosh and Target and when that kid from school launches YouTube.com, see if you can get in on that action.

You'll choose the wrong college the first year. Trust mom, she knows what school you should go to.

Go home for more weekends, dad dies before you graduate and it’ll wreck the next ten years of your life. Remember that it’s ok to run away from home, if you don’t, you won’t meet Chris.

Don’t spend too much time trying to figure out how you got so lucky when Chris proposes to you, you’ll never figure it out. Don’t debate telling him everything that’s wrong with you, he knows, but he’s going to love you anyway. And I won’t tell how he proposes for all the money in the world – you need to be surprised when it happens - it turns out so cool.

That car Dad gave you over Easter break, you’ll drive it until 2008, she’s the best car you’ll ever have, treat her well. It’ll break your heart when you have to give her up. Take tissues to the dealership.

Remember to thank the Dean of the English department, he’s going to go out on a ledge for you and you don’t deserve it - remember to write him after you graduate.

Always take that trip to Canada on your 21st birthday, it totally cements your friendships with Kelly and Dani and you’ll be friends with them for the rest of your life. Don’t skip that trip to study. Go have fun, but reconsider what you pack – you may dance on a bar that night.

For the love of all things good, when you get into deep trouble in 1999, ask for help this time. You’re still paying for that problem.

And nothing happens during Y2K - it's just a fun night with Kelly.

Eric’s gonna be a dad and you’ll be voted aunt of the year by two munchkins you love more than anything. Your nephew is going to steal your heart away, but you’ll love every moment of it.

You’ll never get to go home again and it kills you, but hang in there, you won’t be that lonely forever, kid. You’ll make it. I only wish the 50 year old me would drop the 30 year old me a line like this…

One last thing, don’t buy the strapless wedding dress. You look like a linebacker in all of the photos.


Love,
Me.