Advice To Me

If I could give advice to my teenage self

I would tell me to start saving my writing earlier

Don’t scribble it up on paper and throw it away

Type it up and save it somewhere so you can come back to it later

I would tell myself not to worry that Brighter days are coming

Days when you beat your depression back with your fists enough that you can breathe

Days when you’ll find yourself the happiest you’ve ever been savor those days

Because unfortunately they won’t last forever

But still, there are brighter days after that

Save your money, quit spending what you don’t have and cut out the overdrafts buddy

Don’t worry about college, it wasn’t really meant for you

You’re not a pigeon to be pigeonholed

You’re not a shape that goes into the shape and sort

You’re special and unique

You are worth more than you could ever know

Listen to and hang out with dad more often

Watch him cook and help, you’ll wish you knew how to make potato salad the way he did

After he’s gone

Your time together is so much shorter than you would have ever thought

Don’t forget to stop and smell the flowers even on days when you can’t smell them

Living in the present is best

The future will come whether you worry about it or not

You’ll be happy with who you eventually turn out to be

You’ll enjoy the sheriff’s office for a while but don’t let it consume you

You won’t stay there forever thank God

It’s just a long stop on the road

It will teach you a lot and hurt in some ways but in the end it will be the stepping stone to finally getting help

The world isn’t quite as horrible as you will think it is while working for the county

Remember to keep some faith in humanity

Not too much lest you be disappointed

But some

Remember you are loved, you are worthy, you are special, and you are worthy of being loved

Remember there’s always hope around every bend

Sometimes you just have to dig through the refuse to find it

Embrace the chaotic nature of your mind

You’ll grow to love it and remember to be kind to the raccoon running your train of thought he’s trying the best he can.