Before you say hello to the new version of you, you have to say goodbye to the old. Keep moving, don’t stop even when the basketball stops dribbling. Keep moving, don’t stop even when your friends stop walking. Keep moving, don’t stop even when your phone stops ringing. Keep moving, don’t stop even when your heart is breaking. Hello, old version of me, it’s been a while, I haven’t seen you in such a long time. It was hard to even recognize you, funny meeting you here. Now that I have you here, let’s have a chat. Lift up your head, you’ve been through a lot, trust me I know, but look at me, the NEW version of you, I am proof that you made It through. Listen, we cannot change the past, I know you want to, but our past is what shaped us to be the person I am today. Our past guided us into unknown territories that I would have never walked into by myself. Our past made us realize we had unresolved childhood trauma. Our past made us realize yes, we love church, yes it is a part of us, but we also need therapy. I know you’re in pain, I know you are suffering, but this is only going to make you stronger. The pain and loss you have suffered throughout the years, don’t discount that, and don’t take it for granted. Everything you went through, everything you are currently going through you need to go through it. This is your story, and your story is going to help so many teenagers/young adults that have experienced similar situations. You are not a mistake, you were put on this Earth to help, guide, and protect the next generation. What you’re experiencing right now is only growing pains. Before you become the person you see today, you have to heal. I was once you, I tried to sweep everything under the rug. I forgave people right away without talking about the issue. I constantly held my tongue. I helped others without a thought, and when I needed the help, those same people I helped were nowhere to be found. Before you become the person you see today, you have to get familiar with the word ‘NO.’ The word ‘NO’ will; save your life in the near future. You may be alone now, but once you’re healed, you will find your people. Listen to my words, you will have more associates than friends, but you will have a solid inner circle that you can depend on for every single thing in your life. So, stand up, say goodbye to the old version of you, and look ahead, look at the person you will become. Stop dwelling on the past, your future is bigger and brighter than you could have ever imagined. You will survive, not only will you survive you will be happy. I’ll see you soon.

Dear my something,

Growing up I had no idea you would mean as much to me as you do now. You were always there for me, but for some reason I always seemed to wave you off. I remember learning about you from grade school when I was saying words out loud that I couldn’t even spell yet. Storytelling has been a huge part of me, maybe because as a child my parents would read my brothers and I stories before we fell asleep. Those stories opened up my mind to explore things, it gave me new ideas, it enhanced my thinking, with that I began thinking out of the box. It wasn’t until middle school that I was given an assignment. The assignment was to pick any anime and tell the story through those anime eyes about a particular part of history. During that assignment, I allowed my imagination the freedom it was begging for. As I went on to do the assignment, something came over me. I was enjoying it, I enjoyed it more than basketball at the time. For years you have been by my side, for years you have been my go to. My mother brought me diaries as a young girl, even back then, years ago, you were there. When I assumed you were only here because it was something that was taught to me as a kid, but you made it so I would need you even when I did not know I would need you. I thought my love for basketball would get me to where I wanted to be, you stood there waiting patiently for me to pick you up. When basketball broke my heart and I had no one to talk to about it, you were there, you allowed me to pour out my most inner and deeper thoughts to you with no judgements. You have helped me through my darkest days and cheered me on through my happinest. You never complained about me venting to you about the same issue over and over again, the issue I, myself was constantly putting myself in. Day and night you laid on my nightstand waiting for me to get home, just so I could tell you about my day and the eventures I encountered. There you were, never jealous, always ready to be a listening ear, along with a caring friend when I was friendless. When I abandoned you when I finally made friends, you stood tall and watched over me. That time I lost those same friends, you were there welcoming me back with open arms. It was at that moment that I realized that I loved you. Some may say you are a rebound because I kept coming back to you whenever life failed me, but me, I see more than that. I see something that made a decision to never give up on me. I see something that watched me grow up from a little girl to a beautiful young lady. I see something that is patient and not judgemental. What I’m trying to say is, ink pen and paper I love you.