Please remember, through your frustration, and troubles of your own creation, it’s so important to give yourself grace instead of wallowing in your disgrace.
Whatever challenges that you are facing you’ll later realize are worth embracing.
Even though it won’t happen overnight, everything’s going to be alright.

A mellow breeze blows in through the window, and the candle flame sways and flickers.
The falling rain sounds like quiet applause, occasionally growing louder and then softer again.
Crickets and frogs sing together, celebrating the summer storm.
A flash of lightning lights up the dark sky and briefly illuminates the branches of trees that dance to the playful wind.
The low rumble of thunder sends gentle vibrations through the ground and a pleasant chill sends tingles through me from the top of my head to my toes.
A breath of petrichor is an invitation to have peace.
Here, I could remain.

Sky rocket into the outer space,
Aspire,
Don’t tire,
Push the will
.
.
.
The situation looks dire.
I speak from a place on the higher shelf.
We hide our beast side
With mask we stash on the lower shelf,
The “devil” is just the lower self.
Bud, light the fire 🔥
Within your soul.
You are over qualified for the position.
So hire self.
Scan the cosmo,
Filled with love,
abundance,
and prosperity
Everything you NEED is within…
Just tap in with your higher self ✨️

Dearest child self, do you know who you will be?
Looking into the mirror staring face to face
The girl who never was will slowly fade away.
In the distance howling a dark familiar place.
Dreams you feel them shatter all along the way
Dearest preteen self the shyness will not stay
The longing for security day after day
The girl who never was will slowly fade away
In the distance howling a lonely open space
Dreams you watch them scatter beneath the surface gray
Dearest teenage self who and what do they see
A desperate empty glass
breaks underneath your feet
Shards of glass they cut so deep
taking every moment to retreat
The girl who never was will slowly fade away
In the distance howling a crying child takes its place
Dreams you had don’t matter
A child you will raise
Then one turns into two and two into three
Along the way you found your soul, your mate your one to keep
The years they pass so quickly
Your age is full of grace
Dearest me you are here
You struggled along way but fire and ice
they shaped you into who you are today
The past not forgotten, merely stitched and put away
The girl who never was, was lost along the way picking up those missing pieces
Her self made puzzle has finally returned to its rightful place
Her head held high, she’s filled with joy
no longer surrounded by past mistakes
Kristin Freeman

Why Worry?
Dear younger self, this is a letter to me. If I could have had the skills to not worry about the future, I would have been less anxious and enjoyed the ride.
Learning to live in the moment is a gift to yourself. Smelling the sweet nectar from the flowers blowing in the wind, to running that race around the bend. Playing outside Double-Dutch and kick ball in the street, playing with jacks and marbles with no cares but to be present while I was there. I remember my childhood vividly no cares, until I kept getting older and then I had some fears: fears of getting older and fitting in with my peers, joining social groups and exploring who I was within. I had some anxiety back then, sometimes difficult experiences worrying about my future and how it would end. Forgetting the time when I was outside playing and using my imagination with no certain cares in the world was refreshing. If I could tell myself back then, do not to fret, as I was to age and grow older each day and that would have been ok. Perhaps, I would have thought the sky would have been the limit. If I could have said to myself back then, yes! You can do that or this and eventually just get it done, then I guess this letter would not have had to be written. However, I would have told myself to dream big or even bigger and not to be anxious about the future. See the future will come but after the present. So, the present should have been soaking in the sun. Because the future was yet to come. So, why did you often worry about what was to come but to have embraced the time you had back then and wait patiently for your future to have begun. Yes, you will age, you will not know what is yet to come, but the experiences you had to face while you were young was shaping you into the woman you would become. Not worrying about whether I belonged because just being who you were was exactly who you were! You were born unique! If I had just known to have just trusted myself and spoke to myself to say your enough. Your smile, your laughter, your size, your weight, your height, your life is what the higher power has given you so embrace it and not to worry, because worrying about what is yet to come brings unnecessary anxiety that soils your tongue. If I could have done it all over again, I would know that I was a survivor and that my future was bright and yet to come!

I see you with that frown, Life is bringing you down
You wish you had all the things that the neighbors do
Or the name brand clothes they all wear in school
Theres a place in your mind You will someday find
That brings you much happiness and laughter

That toy you once wanted Or that special snack
That mom said “we cant afford it put it back”
You can get all those things and so much more
Trust that the future has some good things in store
All of those things, you wont have to ask for

The mental, emotional, and physical pain
Will soon be gone with strength to gain
This monster disguised as a father figure
Will slowly but surely be out of the picture
It will be exactly what you are after

The worry you feel will lighten up
And arise again in time
Its almost never as bad as it seems
things always fall in line
Then your on to the next chapter
You will endure hurt and pain,
with loved ones who pass away
they’re in a better place
and no one is here to stay
You being strong will play a factor

Don’t worry about the future, things always fall in place
You will accomplish goals no matter what it takes
Giving up, you wont do! Its not in you, NEVER
No matter how hard, I PROMISE IT GETS BETTER!

To the girl in the mirror with the tears in her eyes
Staring intently at her double chin and the ripples in her thighs
Listening to a voice in her head, whispered sweet nothings that have soured and sharpened-leaving long scars down arms that you no longer consider beautiful-
You are loved.
You are loved you are loved you are loved.
I’ll say it once more because it’s hard to hear over the internal and external screaming-voices raining down falsities, attracting you like magnets
YOU ARE LOVED!
Let the words wash over you: thunder down and fire up-burning the root of the problem-the seeds that planted how you see yourself in the world.
“It’s better to hear it here so you’re tough when you go out there-“
That’s not true.
You are loved and you are beautiful.
You’re going to make it through.
The wounds may be bleeding but they are going to heal-you are not broken.
People may be laughing but you are not a clown-you are a queen and there’s no need to fix your crown.
Don’t wipe the tears from your eyes and don’t pick yourself up because it’s okay to feel what you are feeling: you don’t need to take on strong.
But you need to take on love.
When I wrap myself around me I am really holding on to you-
Giving you sweet kisses and tender words to offset the harsh reality that you thought you needed to live in.
Elixirs for your scars and for the pains.
I want you to know that your thighs keep me warm at night
Your chin is the essence of your face and smile
And those voices? We’re on a journey to conquer the voices.
You will-we will-conquer every single one.
Here’s the weapon:
You are loved.
I love you.

Don’t worry, little baby, help is on the way
Soon you’ll be wrapped in your mothers soft embrace

Don’t worry, darling girl, it’s okay to feel fear
Have your moment with terror and then feel the other feels

Don’t worry, my love
13 is so hard
You are not alone in feeling so lost

Don’t worry, wild heart
It’s natural to rebel
When your life isn’t your own
And your insides don’t match your out
but remember that rebellion is a cage too

Don’t worry, my dear
I know this is so hard
I know that you’re bleeding and that your baby is lost
This pain can’t last forever; it just wasn’t meant to be
Maybe this will be the thing that finally sets you free

Don’t worry, kind soul, you’ll get through this too
You don’t need the drugs the way you think that you do

Don’t worry, my angel
Break ups are so tough
I promise you’ll be so much better off

Don’t worry, brave one, new cities are a challenge
You moved states away on your own, how valiant
You feel alone now but I swear it won’t last
I’m proud of you for leaving those who hurt you in your past
You’ll have people who see you and people who love you
There’s no dream or no hope that is too far above you

Hey you, yes, it’s true.
You’re still here; we made it through.
Through the rough nights, silent cries, and wanting to die,
we made it through.
I know it seems tough and your life feels like a big bluff,
but in me, you can trust.
Without your strength and your will to fight,
we wouldn’t be living this life.
This life full of peace, happiness, and no grief.
In this life, we are ourselves, unapologetically.
No fears or worries,
just joy and folly.
So, please sweet girl, don’t worry.
This is not the end of our story.

You’re not supposed to know what you want to be in life,
You’re not supposed to know the name of your future wife.
You don’t need to know how taxes are filed,
You don’t need to know where strawberries grow wild.
You’re not supposed to know what to do with a girl,
You’re not supposed to know how to compliment her curls.
You don’t need to know how to drive a car,
You don’t need to know how to get there or how far.

You’re supposed to be a kid and go outside and play,
You’re supposed to scrape your knees climbing trees all day.
You need to know fun and laughter and friends,
You need to know that even the strong trees bend.
You’re supposed to make mistakes and cry sometimes,
You’re supposed to make weird stuff and draw outside the lines.
You need to know you’re loved and that you’ll be ok,
Because I love you right now, and you’re me someday.

Dear younger Rachel,
Waves come faster than you think
Trying to catch the sunsets before you blink
Days and years coming at you like the speed of life
Demons haunting you
But light shines in something everyday
Remember to hold the rope and climb
No matter how many steps it takes
Reach for the stars
Keep shining bright
Remember things will pass
Remember the root of the tree
The people that love you
The simplest things that make you proud
All will be well
You will meet incredible people
Touch so many hearts
Inspire the world
And most importantly be at peace
With yourself
You will find strength
And everyone will know your name

Dear younger self, you never became famous
don’t look at me that way I’m not wandering around aimless.
I know that’s what you wanted but trust me everyone there is really haunted.
The glitz and the glam wasn’t what it was about
I know how badly you just wanted to GET OUT!
A life going nowhere everybody’s stuck
Growing up here I need a little luck.
It turns out “famous” wasn’t the way it just didn’t work out
I’ll understand if you need to pout.
Baby girl, look at the news
Taking that path is how you lose.
Life isn’t a race but still, you have to set the pace.
To get what you want can sometimes be a jaunt
But please hear me don’t worry
We got out so what’s the hurry?
A new life and a new last name
Nothing is the same.
There’s one more thing you need to hear.
Please don’t fear.
I’ve learned something new
And it’s that I love you.

Take me on down
To the coast
Where life’s meaning
Has it’s most
Where the fierceness
Of the crashing waves
Breaking free
Revive realization
God’s strength
The meaning of life
For me

Dear Baby Girl,
A nick name I gave to you in your younger years, As I write to you across the chasm of time, my bridge of ink and memory too, As I whisper the truths of life you need to hear.
As you begin to feel the weight of the tomorrows, for I see you begin to fret about the future, don’t you? As worry gnaws at your tender heart, but let me assure you, dear one your guiding light will shine, and you will succeed.
Your unseen path is your life’s map that unfolds in so many mysterious ways, the paths you cannot fathom stretch ahead. Each twist, each turn as opportunities awaits, And worry? Don’t fret Baby Girl for it’s only a shadow on the road.
The Canvas of Dreams are your dreams to paint with bold but soft strokes, for they’ll shape your tomorrows. Fear not the blank canvas and paint what you see in your mind; Your colors will be made into a masterpiece.
The Symphony of Resilience is a life’s symphony that plays discordant notes but hear me closely the crescendo nears. Your heartstrings will weave resilience, And worry? It’s but a transient note.
The Constellations of Hope look up, little stargazer! You see the constellations of hope? Each starlight in the sky whispers to you, that “you are enough, just as you are.”
The wings sprout from your shoulder blades, Invisible yet sturdy. They’ll carry you Beyond the horizon of doubt, where worry shall dissolve into stardust.
The Echo of Love is like a river that flows through every season of your soul. So, drink deeply love, for its currents will save you when storms rage.
The Mirrors of Grace are when you gaze into mirrors, see the beauty and poise reflects at you. Your imperfections? They’re brushstrokes, and the portrait of your becoming.
The Whispers of Stars are your secrets that you leave throughout the night sky. Now you have learned to listen to your thoughts in peace and ahead whisper to you the encouragement of the bravery of your future self.
The Unfolding, for your young heart, fret not. The universe conspires in your favor and will embrace the unknown, for within it lies the magic of your becoming.
So, as I come to the end of this letter to me, my sweet innocent younger me, always stay true to you.

What’s wrong little one?
What’s that frown all about?
Don’t you know it’ll all be okay.
You shouldn’t worry about that troubles you may face. Instead focus on the adventures you will make!
Just like the birds above gliding through life.
It’s going to be alright.

What’s up young man?
What’s that frown all about?
Don’t you know it’ll all be okay.
It’s was just another bad day, some times there’s struggles we face. But we mustn’t let the world take our fate!
Just like the lions know their place in life.
It’s going to be alright.

It’s all alright.
It’s all alright.

Little one don’t you worry
Time will scurry
And sometimes you’ll feel in such a hurry
Just try to listen to the songs of the canary
I know it feels heavy
But think of the strength you’ll gain
Shh Listen to the wind blow
Little one you should know
As you grow
Some people will go
But remember how you collect everything that shines and glows
You’ll do that with everyone you know
Gifting everyone you meet with a piece of you to collect
As we’re all just mosaics of everyone we’ve met
Honey don’t worry you’ll find the way just get up and seize the day
And remember life is art in every way