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kathrynwilkie44 submitted a contest entry to
Write a letter or poem to your younger self about why he or she shouldn’t worry about the future 1 years ago You are Going to be Just fine
Kathryn WilkinsonHey, you, I can see you pacing
Feeling your world is beginning to crumble
Pulse is racing
Worried about how to stop turning into a pile of rumblePlease now sit still
Unclog your ears
Anxieties are making you ill
I have a message to you that you need to hearYou have been spending much time spiraling
Dancing to the rhythm of teenage rues and blues
Obsessions over prospects of your future are only causing unnecessary fretting
Please listen to me, I’m you but a little older and wiserHoney, you are standing in the mirror
And pinching at your skin
Wondering if one day you will stop wishing to be thinner
One day you wake up heavier and realize that’s when your life beginsThe body you keep abusing
Will undergo more battles that are not your fault
Simmer down all the silent shaming
You’ll need the extra strength to fight the wounds yet to come that are sealed in the vaultEveryone thinks you have it all together
To the outsiders, you are smiley and happy
Only you know you are holding on by a tether
Accept that is ok to feel crappyYes, I know it is hard to find a way to see the meaning
On why that boy that promised you forever and more
Left you with your heart-shattering
In microscopic pieces all over the floorRight now, it feels as if your world is ending
All you want is him back
And you will get what you have been yearning
Only realized the roses had turned blackThere will be more boys
Who will eventually turn into men
Some may play with like toys
And others will make you feel born againRight now, I seem like a delusion
Of an older adult giving you unsolicited advice
Part of some sort of collusion
To control the story of your lifeI cannot answer all your questions
Of whom, when, what, and how?
All I can offer is a suggestion
You aren’t supposed to know all those answers yetExperiences will come and they will go
Some will be remarkable
Many will come with a big blow
It is up to you to keep your sparklePut those worries aside
Every single mistake, regret, and stinge of pain
Will eventually just become wounds you’ve been able to bind
Sunshine always follows the rainToday, start to practice self-love
In lieu of hate because you are wasting your time
You will become a woman with the peace of a dove
And trust me, trust me you are going to be just fine.Voting is closed
Kathryn, I loved how you expressed the transformation from overcoming heartbreak and body shame. Those experiences can tear us down, but they are also opportunities to build ourselves back stronger, wiser, and more confident, filling ourselves up with self-love rather than self-hate… I commend you for braving that journey and sharing it with the community <3 Juvi
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Thank you for reading and your sweet message Juvi! It’s pretty wild when I think how dramatic I was when I was younger. Everything seemed like the end of the world, it wasn’t!
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It was so weird to read this because it almost felt like I was reading my own story. I relate to so much of it—right down to wanting to be slimmer and everyone thinking I had it all together. It’s interesting how freeing it is to tell the world your truth and just let life happen (although it is tough not to control everything). It is true sunshine always comes after rain. Thank you for sharing. <3 Lauren
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