4. List 10 things you would tell your 16 year-old self, if you could.

So this was a letter to myself at 13... written over a year ago...? So here's 10 facts I'd tell my 16 year old self... and while I'm at it... let me add some Brad Paisley to the grand finale of this post, because these reports always remind me of his song "Letter to me"

1. Please stop being so superficial. You have this very snotty glow about yourself… yes, Capri; the world is your oyster and shellfish is not off the menu but you and your best friends… think you run the city, and you don’t. You don’t even know what that looks like. Be nice, love harder… befriend the girls who no one cares to care for. Genuinely… they’re the friends you want along your side the rest of your life.
2. Boys, will not last forever… so don’t put all of your permanent trust in temporary men. Your first relationship lasted a long time. You were in love, you were happy, you were committed… and looking back, it wasn’t all that glorious.. date, but don’t take yourself too seriously. You are young! Be young, you’re not young for long.
3. The idea to work for a preschool instead of serving ice cream with a work permit like all of your friends… MUCH BETTER…. You’ll rack up an extensive and successful clientele, more life experiences than you ever could have fathomed, and you will learn more from young children and their parents then you ever would’ve learned behind an ice cream counter.
4. School is important. Whether it’s a breeze or a struggle, spend more time on homework and studying instead of MySpace designing, bulletin posting, drama, and telephone calls… School should be a priority for you and since you’re home by yourself after school, you should not only be held accountable but also responsible… you need to step up your game.
5. Take your weight seriously… you were heavy as a teenager… like Mercedes in Glee… which at the time wasn’t a problem for anyone or you! This being said, you weren’t healthy and because you were very popular you were never teased to your face, but I’m sure people said things… as a child you shouldn’t set yourself up for an obese future, and as a skinny adolescent.. you had control of yourself in highschool, and it shows to this day.
6. Learn to drive when Anthony tries to teach you. When I say tries, I mean when he allows you to drive his truck up an empty centennial parkway and you forget you must slow down before you make a turn onto grand canyon… let this be a good learning experience (even though Cayla spills Orange Soda on top of your Coach bag in fear of her life) take life a little slower.
7. Go to at least one Homecoming Football Game. You were such the busy bee, you’d plan, and plan, and plan and never, ever make it to the Homecoming Games… This is one part of your childhood, you’ll never get back.
8. Play more sports in Highschool… perhaps this would’ve helped the weight thing. Soccer was nice, and so was dance… but your drive was killed around the time of 16. Health and happiness comes from endorphins… and if your mother drops 2,000 on a Gym membership for the two of you… GO as often as possible, whatever it takes, get off of your butt, show her your appreciate what YOU begged for, and answer when LVAC calls your name.
9. Embrace your religion with all of your heart, soul, mind, and strength. Your own personal connection with God is stronger at the age of 16 than it’s ever been before. You’re old enough to get the total image of God’s grace and who he is, what he means to you… and if it didn’t take you a whole consistent year of consistent RCIA classes, you would’ve been baptized at 16. God has a great path for you in his time, so take moments seriously but rely on your faith to carry you through trials, everything works itself out in God’s time.
10. When Tyler takes his life, you will eventually be okay. At 16 years old, your very best male friend will take his life. This will suck the life out of you, it will drain you of your promise, and rob you of your innocence, it will harm your hopes and scorch your concept of what life is all about. His mom will challenge you to do something positive with your life in memoriam of him… this is the best advice you may ever take… I wish all of your deceased friends parent’s encouraged you to do something positive, not as if any of them asked you to do anything negative, though it’s hard to move on from grief and loss and in the sight of misery, to find something to look forward to, was the best thing you ever did for yourself.