Dear Lily,
You have not yet adopted the name Lily. That will come nearly eight years later at a dead beat job, where someone with your same name steals your identity and logins for work. But more on that later.
You've spent the last two years, and will spend the next five or so years, treating yourself like crap. I really wish you would stop. I wish you would listen to your mother when she says you're beautiful and smart and capable of anything you put your mind to. I wish you'd stop being afraid all the time- there's really nothing to be afraid of. I wish you could see how awesome you are, not how much you stand out in crowds. Its okay to stand out. You're not going to fall off a cliff. Even if you do, you'll land safely enough, that I can promise you.
See, I remember how it felt, sliding that razor across your thigh, crying in the shower, and wishing for something, anything to change, or to just stop feeling all together. Coming up with self destructive plans to make yourself beautiful, only to fail because, well, nobody gets skinny overnight, and you were already beautiful. Truly. And then hated yourself some more. You realized quite early that only you could change you, but it took you a long time to really understand what that meant, and how to make it happen.
If there is something I could do or say to comfort you, I would, but right now you are inconsolable, and that's not your fault. It really truly is no one's fault. You have a swarm of hormones rushing through your body and you live in a community where no one else looks like you. I will say, you're not alone in feeling like a freak. It gets better. Oh boy, does it get better.
In four more years, you're going to take a train to Virginia, for college. Yes, college. You're going to finally be surrounded by people that look just like you, and who are willing to be your friend. Not gonna lie, you only stay there for a year, and you begin to think the end of the world is nigh when you leave, but really, its just getting started.
I could tell you about your re-return to Oregon, or how you ended up in Alaska, but you might again look at those events as something negative. You really must know that it is not. Life changes. People change. You'll figure it out eventually, but you've got to give yourself that chance.
Lily, you didn't lose weight immediately. You continued gaining weight until you were twenty-four. You used food as a shelter, something to hide behind and calm you down when things got tough, or as a reward for surviving impossible odds. But you remained capable. You were still able to do exactly what you needed to do to get where I am today. Eventually you started to take care of your outer-self in addition to your inner-self, and its made all the difference. You never thought you would weigh 300 lbs, and be proud of yourself. I am here to tell you that you are, and you are.
Don't forget to be awesome,
Lily
You have not yet adopted the name Lily. That will come nearly eight years later at a dead beat job, where someone with your same name steals your identity and logins for work. But more on that later.
You've spent the last two years, and will spend the next five or so years, treating yourself like crap. I really wish you would stop. I wish you would listen to your mother when she says you're beautiful and smart and capable of anything you put your mind to. I wish you'd stop being afraid all the time- there's really nothing to be afraid of. I wish you could see how awesome you are, not how much you stand out in crowds. Its okay to stand out. You're not going to fall off a cliff. Even if you do, you'll land safely enough, that I can promise you.
See, I remember how it felt, sliding that razor across your thigh, crying in the shower, and wishing for something, anything to change, or to just stop feeling all together. Coming up with self destructive plans to make yourself beautiful, only to fail because, well, nobody gets skinny overnight, and you were already beautiful. Truly. And then hated yourself some more. You realized quite early that only you could change you, but it took you a long time to really understand what that meant, and how to make it happen.
If there is something I could do or say to comfort you, I would, but right now you are inconsolable, and that's not your fault. It really truly is no one's fault. You have a swarm of hormones rushing through your body and you live in a community where no one else looks like you. I will say, you're not alone in feeling like a freak. It gets better. Oh boy, does it get better.
In four more years, you're going to take a train to Virginia, for college. Yes, college. You're going to finally be surrounded by people that look just like you, and who are willing to be your friend. Not gonna lie, you only stay there for a year, and you begin to think the end of the world is nigh when you leave, but really, its just getting started.
I could tell you about your re-return to Oregon, or how you ended up in Alaska, but you might again look at those events as something negative. You really must know that it is not. Life changes. People change. You'll figure it out eventually, but you've got to give yourself that chance.
Lily, you didn't lose weight immediately. You continued gaining weight until you were twenty-four. You used food as a shelter, something to hide behind and calm you down when things got tough, or as a reward for surviving impossible odds. But you remained capable. You were still able to do exactly what you needed to do to get where I am today. Eventually you started to take care of your outer-self in addition to your inner-self, and its made all the difference. You never thought you would weigh 300 lbs, and be proud of yourself. I am here to tell you that you are, and you are.
Don't forget to be awesome,
Lily
1 comments:
I loved this and magnate to do this too... Even if I don't post it.
Thank you for sharing about your life- your journey. It takes real courage.
Hugs to the 14 year old you...and to the you you are now.
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