Dear Little Me

​Do you ever wish you could go back in time and cup your little self gently around the cheeks, have her look into your wizened eyes?⁣
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Do you ever want to hug her, because only you know the type of embrace she needed but didn’t know how to ask for?⁣

Sweet, awkward little Emily, circa 1989

​​I often see posts asking, “What 3 words would you tell your younger self?” ⁣
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My younger self would be *freaked out* to see older Me standing before her, and I know she’d not be keen to accept advice from some kind of know-it-all. ⁣
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She’s wary. ⁣
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She just wants to feel seen, understood, right where she’s at. ⁣
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I could tell her that longing has served her. She will one day be able to feel the shards and caresses of emotions from every corner of the room. ⁣
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I would tell her to honor that sensitivity, to trust that desire for comfort and good. ⁣
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I would ask her to trust her heart, and not believe anyone who hints that her concerns are too far-fetched. ⁣
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I would tell her to go ahead and cry, and to continue to write it all down (but maybe to hide her words better; privacy is often precious for sowing lessons worth revisiting.)⁣
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I’d tell her that yeah, you do have gifts. Your silliness matters. It’s okay to be a goof. Being mortified has its place, and certainly doesn’t separate you from the pack (they’re just as awkward as you are.)⁣
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I’d understand her longing to rest, wholly assured in her place in a mad world. ⁣
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If I only had three words to give her?⁣
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You. Are. Enough.