Dear Brita, age 7:
You are not dying. Shortly after your 8th birthday, a wonderful man named Dr. Clark will run some tests. They’ll be scary, but Mommy will be there. The nicest nurse you’ve ever known (“Miss” Denece) will hold your hand. Dr. Clark will tell you and your parents that you have Crohn’s Disease. You’re going to be okay, but it’s okay to cry. It’s okay to be scared.
Dear Brita, age 12:
You’re already conforming to society’s unrealistic demand for hairless women. One day you won’t care so much about your occasionally fuzzy legs or hairy underarms. Even so, I wish you knew how much easier it is to shave with just running water. Shaving cream is a ridiculous waste of time and money.
Listen to your mom about the pastel lip colors. They really do wash you out. If you must wear purple lip gloss, buy it in a deeper shade.
Do NOT listen to your best friend about crimping your hair. Your hair is beautiful curly. Your hair is beautiful wavy. Your hair is beautiful straight. Your hair is a frizzy 90s cliche crimped.
Dear Brita, age 17:
Report him for sexual harassment. The constant remarks about your breasts are NOT okay. The constant taunts–slut, whore, bitch–are NOT okay. Even if you HAD kissed a boy by now–hell, even if you’d already had sex–no one has the right to call you those names.
Don’t waste your time applying to Davidson. You know you’ll get into Furman, and you prefer it over Davidson. Still apply to Harvard and to William & Mary, but try not to cry if you don’t get in. Furman will be an amazing four years.
Spend as much time as you can with Kimi, Madison, Aimee, and Matt. They’re the ones still in your life 10 years after graduation. Oh, and invite Russell to prom. I know you haven’t seen him since he graduated, but he’s about to become one of your closest, life-long friends.
Dear Brita, age 22:
You’re finally going to get a tattoo!!!!! I hope I didn’t ruin the surprise, but I’m just so excited for you!
Here’s all the stuff your boss expects you to do, but will never actually tell you to do until she uses it to threaten to fire you:
- Hang up the wash to dry, except for socks/underwear/towels, which go in the dryer. Fold and put away everyone’s clothes, including your boss’s.
- Do the dishes on the weekend, even though that’s your time off, and even if you didn’t eat a single meal at home all weekend.
- Clean up all the toys that are scattered across the house on Monday morning, that certainly weren’t there Friday night when you got off work.
- Check to make sure all three kids have their sweaters under their coats, because they’re prone to leaving them at school.
- Unpack the kids’ suitcases when they return from vacation.
Your job will be stressful, but you’ll become best friends with Amelia, Chantal, and Jessica, so it evens out.
Love always,
Brita, age 27
Linking up a few days early for The Circle with Kiki! What do you wish you knew at a younger age?
If only 🙂 There are so many thing i would love to tell my younger self xx
I know, right?!
This is cute!!! What a great post idea!!!
Thank Kiki from In Its Time. She came up with the prompt!
Oh, I love this. Goodness, 17 is a hard age, isn’t it? I’m sorry you had to deal with that.
YUP. I was the only self-proclaimed feminist in my high school, and yet I didn’t recognize sexual harassment as it was happening to me. But it taught me to advocate for other women, since not a soul stood up for me.
This is a great idea for a post! I love this. I might have to steal it. 🙂
The actual link-up is Wednesday! You should do it too!
This is a great post idea! Basically I’d tell myself at every age to chill out a bit more. A 8 year old who stays up at night fretting about homework being done perfectly- calm down self! (Maybe if I had lost the habit when I was young it wouldn’t have followed me through middle school, and high school, and college… and now.)
At 9, I stayed up at night fretting about whether or not I still had the most Accelerated Reader points in the school. We could’ve been friends. Weird friends.
This is a really good idea! It’s so funny to look back and see some things that were so troubling then that aren’t now. I love how you included friends in this one, too! 🙂
I wish in my 20’s I would have known that I was enough and not cared so much about what other people thought! Stopping by from Meandering Mondays!
Oh, if we only knew than what we know now. Then again, we wouldn’t be as wise or as brave as we are today. Thanks for this poignant post, dear.
That’s true! At least I know more today. Thanks for commenting!
Wow, these is really neat! I bet we all wish we could go back and the child in us these type of things! Thanks for sharing!
I loved getting to know you a little more though this post!!
This is such a neat idea! Thanks for sharing it with Hump Day Happenings.
I love how you included different ages- such a creative spin! I enjoyed reading it a lot 🙂
Thank you! My multiple younger selves could really use my current self’s advice.
Once again, your creativity with these topics has blown me away. I love that you wrote letters to yourself at different ages. I wish I had thought of that! 🙂
And I also love that your letters are truths that we ALL need to hear, even if we’re not named Brita. 🙂
Thanks for linking up!
I know I’m replying three days later, but your comment seriously made my day. Thank you. 🙂
love the different ages! so creative! i love the advice “you’re going to be okay, but it’s okay to be scared” – so much truth!
by Furman… do you mean the Furman Paladins in SC?!?!
Um, is there another Furman?
How do you know my alma mater?!
I live near-ish Furman!! I went to North Greenville & had a few Paladin friends:) small world!
No way! When did you graduate? I graduated in 2009. I only knew one student from North Greenville, who I think finished in 2011.
i graduated in Dec 2012! 🙂
Do you still shave just with water? I seriously CANNOT do that! My legs are soooo sensitive. I think I would definitely tell myself a lot, but at the same time it’s kind of good we can’t see into the future, you know? It’s more exciting that way, even if it is scary sometimes!
I used to shave with shaving cream, then with conditioner, but I switched to just water about 5 years ago. I was taking a bath, and I had the idea of shaving my legs underwater. My legs were super-smooth, with no irritation. So my next experiment was shaving under running water, in the shower. No problems! It’s so much faster, with zero mess, and my razors last way longer.
I’m definitely glad I can’t see into the future, but I wouldn’t mind helping myself out in the past.