Dear 16-year self (Round 2)

Dear SJ,

I'm sorry to say that you will never feel more awkward, more fat, more unattractive, more poor, and more sorry for yourself than you are feeling right now. You know those people who made you feel so bad? You're not going to talk to them two years down the line, and your life will be better for it. You coped with it the best way that you could. I wish I could say that those feelings go away, but I'm sorry, they don't. You'll go through phases of crippling self-doubt and low self-esteem. Some of those phases are so bad that you want to kill yourself. You won't though. You'll emerge stronger, and 14 years later, you will finally realise that you are enough. Exactly the way you are.

If I could give you any advice, it would be to never stop writing. I am in awe of the way you write stories, and I honestly wish I had that talent now.

I also wish you hadn't given up on sports. I know you did because you felt conscious running in front of boys, but fuck them, honestly. You were a good athlete, and you could only become better. Continue singing. It will bring you more happiness than you realise.

You made two very good friends in your new school. You will lose touch with one of them, and you are still good friends with one. Cherish that friendship. It is amazingly special.

You're not going to get married when you're 24, you're not going to get married when you're 26. When you hit 30, you will realise that marriage is not important. It's about finding that one person who will absolutely adore you for the kind of person you are. You are yet to find that person, but I'm sure he's out there. You will fall in love once. Spectacularly, passionately, and all-consuming. But, when you fall out of love, you will wonder how it ever happened, and with this guy? But, you will be grateful for the experience because it's quite likely you won't feel that way again.

Just know that you are more intelligent than the average girl, you have a great smile, and ignore the taunts. It's going to be hard to, but if you can, please do because it affects your self-esteem in years to come. And, you could really do without those bouts of depression. Cherish your friendships, they're one of the few things you can lean on even after ten years.

But, most importantly, take care of your teeth. Trust me on this.