Dear Kai of the past,
Hey, it’s me. Your older self. I know Kai isn’t your name, but it will be what you go by when you get older. You’re probably wondering why I’m writing to you. It’s because I have a lot to tell you.
I know growing up seems scary. You’re going to dread hitting double digits for the first time, and from there, you’ll dread turning eighteen. I’m not eighteen yet, though- I still have a year to go. But that’s beside the point.
You’ll grow up being the perfect child. You’ll make good grades, and you’ll be confident in yourself. At least, for a while. You’ll begin to fall behind in Spanish class. You won’t do so well in biology. And you’ll start to doubt yourself. Don’t put all your self-worth on your grades- or maybe you already have, and I’m writing to a slightly-older version of myself than I had thought I was.
In any case, you’re going to change. Your hair will grow long, and then you’ll cut it off and donate it to charity- twice. You’ll want to paint your nails black, and you’ll have a mixed relationship with makeup. You’ll start to have fights with your dad because you want more freedoms than what he gives you. Trivial things will seem like important things. You’ll probably make several mountains out of the smallest molehills.
But don’t worry. At this time, most things have worked themselves out. You know that art school that you drive by when you go visit your grandma? You’ll be there someday. Yeah, you won’t graduate with your old friends, but you’ll make new ones there, and they’ll really accept you for who you are.
You’ll learn more about yourself. You’ll learn your favorite color (purple), your least favorite color (pink), your favorite temperature to eat pizza (cold), and you’ll learn what a mitochondria is (the powerhouse of the cell).
Change can be scary. You’ll still be nervous about moving into the dorm, and you’ll worry about grades until the end of time. But don’t worry too much- you’ll have a high enough ACT score that you’re sure you can get into college.
Oh, and one more thing. Don’t be afraid to express yourself. Don’t hide what you feel. Speak out against injustices. Tell your parents when something they say hurts your feelings. And for the love of God, be nice to your sister.
That’s all I have to say. I hope you have a nice childhood.
Love, your older self.
P.S. That shirt you lost is behind the desk in your room. You’re welcome.
That p.s. at the end really adds a lot. Love love love this.
I love this so much. The beginning has me grinning so much. I admire you, for your brave change.
i love the part about the mitochondria! laughed so hard at that.
I really admire the way you told yourself what you would learn, even the random things. There is something about the mitochondria mentioning that really sticks with me.