Stephanie Eva: The Friday Post

This Friday Post (side note; can you believe it's already the 7th week we're doing this!!?) is all about reflection. Kiki and I thought that it might be fun to write a letter to our teenaged selves, because that hasn't been done before. It may seem a little unoriginal, but to us it's a new idea! I don't know about how Kiki feels, but writing these letters (yes, I wrote two, they're short don't worry) made me realize just how ill-prepared we all are for the journey ahead, no? I look back on the photos and see that I had NO idea as to what was coming my way.

Hey, isn't this weird, receiving a letter from your future self?! I wanted to send you a quick message to let you know that food isn't the enemy. Right now, you're sitting on the floor in front of the couch watching TV with Mom. You're eating carrots instead of the preferred chips or chocolate, because only someone would want to look at you if they were "desperate enough". It's not true, and the year you're about to withhold food from yourself is not worth the lifetime of damage it causes.

I want you to do an online search and learn about a dietary lifestyle called "macrobiotics". Go to the library and see if they have any books on it. Oh, don't tell me it's too much work to go, you're there nearly every day with Amanda and Alisa! This is important. Find a book, an article, something, and show it to Mom and especially Dad. Educate yourself about the food you put into your body, rather than deprive yourself from nourishment completely. Learn to love working out now, because you're going to have to go hard at it the rest of your life thanks to this little starvation-stunt you're about to pull.

You can still lose weight the healthy way. Maybe it will go a little slower than with starvation, but in the long run it will help you to form this knowledge about healthy eating NOW, rather than after the damage is done. I understand you feel lonely now, but next year you're going to meet someone who is going to change your world forever. Keep moving forward, don't give up on yourself.

Oh, and to save you some time with course selections, mark Art 1E as you first choice. You're not going to get into photography or pottery. Yes I know that's kind of disappointing but it's for the better, trust me.

You're lost, huh? Everyone is getting accepted into far-away colleges and you're just trying to pass Statistics with a 64 so you can walk at graduation. I totally get it, life is confusing and frustrating because you don't know where you're going or what you're going to do. Unfortunately that feeling DOES NOT GO AWAY, or it hasn't yet at 24, so get used to it and explore different coping mechanisms. Anger does not help any situation.

That nail Tumblr you've started, that's more important than you think it is. Keep up the good work. You've got a great work ethic at the Hampton, maybe not at school, but at least you're channeling your efforts into something that can make you a little money. Spoiler alert; you're moving out within the next two years so you should start saving more!

I understand that things can easily get under your skin, but believe me, it's all little bullshit stuff. Focus on taming your anger, before it gets too out of hand. Oh, and would it kill you to hug your parents more? You're going to regret all that squirming away when one of them drops out of your life completely. Stop taking life for granted, it is a gift (which you will learn all about next year) that can be taken away at any second. Prepare for an eye-opening year ahead, 2011 is going to change you. It may not feel like it's a good thing, but ultimately it is.

The Friday Post | vol. 7