Dear Younger Me,

Yes, it is me, or you, the older model. I know this is weird and has a “Back to the Future” vibe, but it is me, older me, or you. I have been pondering lately, for a few years, about the past, my journey, and how I got here. I look back and see how I grew, stumbled, got up, and not only survived but thrived my way through. While my life may not seem spectacular it has been a journey worthy of appreciation and thanks. That’s why I am writing this, to tell you Thank you!

Thank you younger me for not giving up when life threw you unexpected chaos and trials. Thank you for learning to evolve as life changed for you, you changed, and you helped others change. Thanks for never stopping to look for answers even when there seemed to be none. Thank you for keeping the faith, for building on the rock, for believing God had you and never left you alone, He didn’t, and He still carries you.

Thank you for not settling for the abuse, for the obstacles that appeared to be insurmountable. Thanks for not ever buying into the idea that you “could not” and fought to be and do. Thank you for being strong enough, and for fighting to make things right. And especially Thank you for not lowering to the level others play from.

Thank you for listening to your grandfathers, grandmothers, and Mom and Dad. Thank you for holding on to their advice, stories, and the faith they helped you to build. The morality and the inspiration that those who raised you shared with you helped build you. You may not understand it yet, but you will. You grew up in the best time, maybe the last of the best times. Savor the time you have, things change later. You will be okay, just enjoy the journey.

I am older now than I ever imagined being, you never really think about age the way it comes. Some days I sit and wonder how I got this old, and how and when the time slipped by. I would love to tell you that I am older and wiser, but I feel like I am older and more learned. Ahhhh… the things you will learn, the epiphanies, and sudden realizations will be sprinkled throughout life as you grow. At this stage of our life, I often feel at times as if I have lived too long, life has become surreal at times. But your foundation is strong. Thank you for that, for believing, for trying, for giving yourself grace and mercy.

I just wanted to say Thank you for it all. You will feel as if you can’t go on, but you will not falter in the end. You will keep going, you will hear your Daddy in your head and heart… “You can’t stop, you have to keep moving and work through it,” is sage advice for sure. You will see the wisdom in things as you pass through life, it may not seem like it but you will. Life at his stage is still full of surprises and realizations that come with a need to evolve, accept, and find the path forward again. But you younger me, you built a foundation on the rock, you evolved through life fearlessly it seemed. I know there were so many times when fear and anxiety tried to steal your power, your ability, and your drive. Thank you for never giving up. I don’t want to spoil things for you, just know that whatever comes, you will survive it.

Again, thank you younger me, You are amazing… Keep going.
There is so much ahead of you, I look back and smile more often than not now. It all works out, so far anyway, just keep going…

Older Me/You