An open letter to 12 year old Winnie

Well Winnie, right now you’re starting your first day of high school. Choose your friends wisely and always remember who you are. Throughout the years you will come across people who play an integral role into moulding you to be the person you are. Some experiences may be harsh however they will only strengthen you. Right now you may not be the fittest or the prettiest girl in school but I promise you one day you will be happy with the image you see in the mirror.

You’re having trouble’s fitting in and finding a good group who will influence you to do good, but yet again I counsel you to follow your gut. Don’t let anyone steer you in the wrong direction. Your first year of high school won’t really stick with you- I mean you meet great people but you’ve given into peer pressure and I don’t really recognise who you are or why you’re following everyone. After what seems like a huge year you then move over to a different school where there are a whole bunch of familiar faces. I want you to feel comfortable and really start to study, find who you are, what you like and where you would like to head career wise in the future.

Before you know it you’ve reached your year 12 graduation. People who once were strangers to you have become great friends and man aren’t you lucky to have had such a great high school experience. As rough as it was in the beginning I’m extremely proud of how you’ve come out of your shell. You’ve done talent shows, picked up subjects you thought you never could pass, grown a new found love for different music genres and you’ve learnt the importance of never judging a book by its cover. So many people around you are of different culture and backgrounds but you still manage to be kind and treat them the way you love to be treated. Your mum and dad are so proud of you and it’s at this point in time that I want you to get on your knees and thank God for blessing you with such incredible parents. Your 17 years old and have two loving parents who at times seem overly strict but I swear they only want the best for you Winnie, don’t ever doubt that.

Now my friend you didn’t exactly get the OP ranking we were wanting but I see you have secured a traineeship with your local council. As nervous as you are about working in a field that you aren’t familiar with, I assure you, you will do great things. With the help of two lovely supervisors you will learn to grow into an adult quickly. You’ll also learn how to handle yourself at such a young age. One thing I want you to do during your traineeship is to find that balance between working hard and having fun doing what you do. At times you’ll want to rip your hair out or you may feel inadequate to do tasks but never forget all the support that’s around you. Everyone at work only wants to see you become better every day, stay thankful and most importantly be humble. This is only just the beginning of your work career my friend. As the years go by you manage to move around to another two jobs that are completely different however again you absorb information like a sponge.

Every opportunity is a learning opportunity and everyone you come across each has a story. Listen to them and learn from them. It’s funny because you realise how lovely mature aged people are. You make lifelong friends with people who are around the same age as your parents. Some are even older but you learn to love them and have a new found respect for them. It so beautiful to see how well you get along with everyone and the advice each person gives you is a gift. Cherish these moments and never take them for granted.

Now for the bit you’ve been eagerly waiting for- your love life! I cringe just thinking about it. As a young girl in high school you were always the boy’s boy. Any thought of guys wanting to date you were as high of a possibility as you growing wings and flying in the air. Hahaha. But like I said previously you will find new confidence and you finally decide to dress like a girl (no more basketball shorts). You’ll come across guys who you think will be an amazing suit but let me remind you don’t think too far ahead. I want you to live in the NOW, be yourself and never settle for anything less than what you want. You’ll have a few heart aches but I promise you, you will eventually get over it. I mean, mate you’re still so young. Regardless of what happens, always remember that everything has a purpose. Always be confident but not cocky and as much as you love joking around learn to be serious when needed. Also if there’s any piece of advice I could give to you it would be to not go looking for qualities in someone that you don’t possess yourself. It all starts with YOU, work on yourself and trying to be the person I know you can be. Remember that you don’t go seeking a partner, God will present him to you when you’re ready. In the mean time you just keep watching those Megan Good and Devon Franklin videos hahaha. But in all seriousness don’t lose yourself trying to find someone else. One day someone will love you for you and compliment you. As for the rest of the story I suppose we both will wait to see what unravels.

Well Winnie I hope this gives you a bit more of a boost to keep living this great thing we call life. Your relationship with God deepens as you rely on him during your trials and sometimes over bearing temptations. Time after time he continues to show his love for you and continues to shower amazing blessings that you don’t think you deserve. I want you to stay close to him and never go a day without thanking him. Keep him as the centre and everything will fall into place. I know this is easier said than done but believe me when I say you will need him more than ever throughout the transition of youth to adulthood. You know who you are, you know your purpose don’t let anyone change your views.

Stay happy, live every moment to its fullest and never forget to smile.

Accept the past, embrace the present and believe in the future.

Love from

Your Future Self