A letter to my younger self

Dear Lauren,

I'm finishing high school next week! That might be crazy for you to hear, as I know we always felt like school seems to have no end. But on Friday the 13th of May, it will be over. It's scary you know, but you'll be fine. You may feel as if that day is ages away, but trust me it will come so quick, that by the time you're my age you'll wonder how everything managed to go by so quickly. You have a boyfriend too you know, and you have for a while. Make sure you look after him and treat him right. Make sure also that you thank your parents daily as well, that skiing trip to Bulgaria was expensive, but they'll always make sure that you're happy.

I know how much you love Nan. She spoils you rotten and treats you like a little princess. Cherish those nights at her house, those chippies on a Saturday night, the trips to the garden centre, days at the nail salon and everything that she does for you. Tell her you love her every time you see her. One day you'll be too big to sit on her lap, so sit on her lap while you can and hug her oh so tight. When's she's in the hospital, please be brave. I know how scary it will be for you, but she will need you because she hates it there. Talk to her, hold her hand, tell her about your day, and never ever complain about having to go to the hospital. Spend as much time with her as you can, because when she's gone, you're going to miss her so incredibly much.

As I told you earlier, I'm finishing school next week. That means my GCSEs are coming up. Don't panic! As long as you stick to revising then everything will be fine! However, you'll probably want to start revising a bit earlier than I did, and avoid just revising science because there are other subjects too. Just keep that in mind. Your coursework will go without a hitch so don't stress about it too much. I wish you the best of luck and please try your hardest.

Look, you're going to go through some crap and that's going to be expected. It's just the cold hard truth. You're going to get through a lot of tears but that's okay! Please don't hold back! Middle school is absolute garbage, the majority of people there won't matter in high school so don't even give them your time! Don't trust anyone in middle school. Anyone. BUT. Do enjoy being young and playing with dolls and playing pretend and all those sorts of things. Don't rush yourself to grow up, go outside more, play out with your friends, care less about what people think of you! Your hopes and dreams for the future will always be changing, don't let that confuse you, and don't let anyone hold you back.

When I'm writing this, on Sunday the 8th of May 2016, I'd say you're a pretty cool gal. Okay maybe not the coolest, but you've done some great things and have even greater things to come. We've both got things to look forward to; prom (you're on prom committee by the way), Centre Parcs, Canada, blogging projects and many more exciting things! Who knows what the future has in store for us? I'm willing to put the hard work in if you will! Of course you will.

All my love,
Lauren