I'm sorry.
I'm sorry because the years you're living are the hardest ones you've lived through yet. I'm not going to tell you "It gets worse" or "Wait until you're my age" because that doesn't help you now. It's hard thinking about your near and distant future when the troubles you're facing now are so huge.
It would be easy for me, as a 19 year old, to look on your problems and laugh because, in reality, mine are so much bigger. But I've been where you've been. And I've struggled through the same things. And yes, we grown-ups have big problems. But guess what, we're older, better equipped, and dare I say wise enough to handle them. You roll out of bed every morning and think about how your face broke out, or will people like your new shirt. You think about having a magical summer. You want to give and receive love from that guy... Yeah I know he's super cute. Your friends forgot to invite you to the movies last night and oh yeah that really hurt, and to top it off you had to see it all on Facebook and Snapchat. Oh and Instagram because everyone's a photographer nowadays.
So I'm sorry.
I know what it feels like to go to bed with a pillow wet from crying. I know what it feels like to be ignored and made to feel irrelevant. I know what it feels like to stare at your screen waiting for an invitation because you don't want to be that person who asked to join someone else's event. I know. And it sucks.
I know you watch that popular girl get all the attention because let's face it, this isn't the movies, and the underdog girl doesn't always get the prince in the end. Sometimes the queen bee always wins. I know those girls pick on you because you're 13 and you're a late bloomer, or you're 15 and haven't had your first kiss, or you're 16 and still wearing braces. And it sucks.
Some of you get teased because you have gorgeous bright red hair and adorable freckles, but you can't get tanned and bronzed in the summer. Some of you get teased because you're shorter than everyone else, or because you're at least a foot taller than everyone. You get picked on because you're not good at sports, or the sports you're good at aren't "real" sports. You get picked on because you like math. And it sucks.
And it's not fair.
Because that's just who you are, and you can't change any of it.
And I'm not going to sit here and say "Better days are coming." I'm not going to tell you why all those things don't matter.
Because they do.
Every day you wake up and you struggle with hurts and worries and disappointments. In the grand scheme of things, they're trivial, yes. But they're your life. They're your existence. And some grown up telling you that isn't going to make it better. So this is what I'm going to tell you: Life Sucks.
Life sucks and you know what? It sucks for everyone. And because it sucks, we have to make it not suck. So when your eyes hurt from crying, take a nap. When your feet hurt because you were at school or work, give yourself a pedi and a fresh coat of polish. When you're tired because you were up late doing an assignment, treat yourself to that sugary latte you've been avoiding because it has a metric ton of calories in it. You deserve it.
If it's a sunny day, do something outside. Plant a flower, go for a walk, climb a tree. Do something. Take care of yourself. Take the time to cut up some fruit and dip it in some yummy yogurt. Make yourself some iced tea or lemonade and read your favorite book for a couple hours. It's OK to take a break and do something you love. Something that makes you forget about your troubles for an hour or two.
And if those mean girls come after you tomorrow, hold your head up and remind yourself that you're strong, you're beautiful, you're talented, and you're worth something. You're worth more than you know. You're someone's whole world. Even if you don't know who they are.
That cutie in homeroom? Smile at him. And you know what? If it works out it works out. Not many people stay alone forever. There's no rush. You don't have to get married in a year. You have the rest of your life. And that's a long time.
So yeah, life sucks. Life is hard. But you're tough. We were made to live life. So live it. And live it to the fullest. Because you're worth it.
Love, Ali. <3
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