An Open Letter to My Seventh Grade Self

Dear Seventh Grade Self,

As you heard your alarm this morning, you probably struggled to get yourself out of bed. When you found the courage, you probably walked straight to the mirror and immediately lost all of your confidence. You probably tried on a million outfits and ended up in tears because nothing seemed good enough. I know, because this was your everyday routine.

For a seventh grader who is finally growing into a beautiful young lady, you’re really hard on yourself. Your body’s changing in so many amazing ways from your unique curves to your maturing mind. All of these things make you wonderful, but you just don’t see it yet.

I don’t blame you, though. Along with the changes in your body, your mind’s constantly changing. There’s a cute boy in your algebra class who means the whole world to you right now. The mean girls in gym class fill you with anxiety. You are finally starting to experiment with makeup, and you can never seem to get it right. I get it.

So when mom tells you to go to the grocery store with her, you find yourself annoyed at her. You don’t have time to look for the ripest vegetables or the freshest fruits. Take it from me—You’re going to miss those grocery store trips one day.

Take it all in: Enjoy the time you have at home, enjoy the extra hours of sleep you’re able to get, and most importantly, enjoy being a seventh grader. Soon enough, you’ll be in high school. Then, you’ll be applying for college. And before you know it, you’ll be entering the real world, holding onto all of the important lessons you learned as your seventh-grade-self.

For the record: The cute boy in algebra? He’s not worth losing all of your friends over. The mean girls in gym class? Just kill them with kindness. And finally, I promise, you are so much prettier without makeup. Even though you feel like your world is ending now, it’s only the beginning. I wish I could show you some of the adventures we will have in the future. You’ve got a long, beautiful road ahead of you and these precious moments are only the beginning.

One more thing…Thanks for everything. You’re one of the most remarkable women I know, and I am forever grateful that you chose to stay strong, even when your heart was hurting. I’ll always remember all of the lessons I learned from you.

Sincerely,

The College Freshman Who Finally Realizes Her Self-Worth

Cover image courtesy of Shutterstock.

By Sanah Jivani on October 5, 2015
Sanah is a honors college student at the University of Texas at San Antonio who is double majoring in Sociology and Communications. She is the founder of a non-profit organization called The Love Your Natural Self Foundation, which works to help individuals build confidence. Her biggest dream is to make a difference in the world through her organization and her writing.