Letter To My 24 Year-old Self

Dear Percy

I am writing this letter to you on the eve of your 24th birthday. It’s safe to say I am overwhelmed and extremely proud of you for making it through the last year.

Don’t worry about the paths that changed. You turned walls into doors. I’m proud of you. You traveled across the sea all by yourself. Then you moved past hardships that you thought would ruin you. You intentionally let go of people you loved, but they didn’t deserve you. In the process of knowing your worth, you gained more love than you knew was possible. You surrounded yourself with people that genuinely brought you joy, and I’m proud of you for that. You stopped worrying so much about what your feed looked like, and you worried more about what your life looked like.

The 23rd year of your life was not one without challenges, you had so much growing up to do, and along with growth comes growing pains. You had to go on a journey of self discovery (you are still on it baby girl it doesn’t stop). I am sure that when you turned 22, although it was a crazy time in your life, you somehow thought you had it all figured out, little did you know that you will forever remain a student of yourself as a person.

In Every season you showcase a different You, in this particular season, I got to see a side of you that’s rare, I got to see you confused and trying to figure this life thing out, I got to see you experience a different kind of loss and I got to see you come out on the other side of the pain that came with that loss alive, I got to see you at the end of yourself and although this sounds weird I am going to say it any way; I am glad you went through all of that loss and confusion – because seeing you at the end of yourself in as much as it hurt was such a joy, weird right !lol

It was at the end of yourself, that you fully surrendered at the foot of the cross. It was at the end of yourself that you became authentic and true to yourself. It was at the end of yourself that you became UNFILTERED.

I love how much you have grown in your acceptance of being just who you are over the last year, I love how you are willing to do the hard work of examining your thoughts, actions and past experiences. I love how you work to find all the little elements that make you, YOU!

And although the last year had some sorrow and pain, some heartaches and tears, which I can’t promise that the next year won’t hold, I do pray that you will continue to remember that grief is part of life and that you will allow it to wash over you, but do not let it overwhelm you.

So as you get a new start and a new adventure with your new age, I pray that you continue to grow in your capacity to love. That you will continue to be a true and honest friend, one who is able to have the hard conversations and grow a friendship. I pray that as you grow may you turn into exactly who God ordained you to be in every area. I pray that you grow in your writing. That your words reach women and men of all ages that you lift them up with your truth.

Above all, I pray that you will continue to listen to your maker, your creator, when he says “Be still and know that I am God” Psalm 46:10

Life really is a wave and when it gets hard continue to ride it out, because on the other side of the wave is a great landing waiting to happen.

Love you always

Self