A Letter to My 13-year old Self

Rashi Bhinde
SYBMS-B

Dear 13-year old me,

We’ve learned a lot over the past six years, and realizing that not everybody who is promising to you right now is going to be with you.  Right now, you’ll probably think you’ve got things sorted out – as all thirteen-year-olds do. When you grow up you’ll barely remember being 13, and the things that are taking over your life right now will barely matter. Arguments with friends might seem like the end of the world right now, but then, you’ll realize that it was all for the best.

I want you to know that if someone detaches or leaves, it is NOT your fault. All you can do is be there when they need you but still if they want to leave, it is their choice and not your fault. You need not give multiple chances to people with whom you share a history.

There are so many surprises on your way, some are extremely delightful and some can be extremely traumatizing. All you need to know is, It will all be okay! You will get through it.

Your heart will be broken multiple times by immature, nonsensical friends. But you, my darling will get through it all.

Try and be healthy. It will be a huge task to develop motivation to work out later. Don’t skip out on family dinners. I know that your phone may buzz in the middle of your conversation at the dinner table, but wait ten more minutes to check your phone. Ask your parents how their day was instead.

I know that you might think the world is over when someone doesn’t like you back, but there will always be this one man who will always love you no matter what and that is dad and please give him more of your time. Soon you will realize that you don’t need to have a special somebody to be successful. Spend time figuring yourself out first. Grow as a person and discover who you are. Then eventually you will be ready to share your life with someone who can help you grow even more.

Balance in life matters the most. There are many wonderful opportunities that are likely to come your way.  Experience them all. Take those risks but not at the same time. Keep balance in your life so that there is always time for family, friends, self, work and play. You need all of them. At different times, different ones will take precedence, but there is never a time when you shouldn’t strive to have a little bit of all of them in your life.

In my humble opinion, you are going through some of the tougher parts of life around now.  There are a lot of decisions that you don’t get to make for yourself. You do get to decide how you’re going to respond to what life demands though. Choose to make the most of your time and make it the best experience it can be.  And when a situation seems intolerable, ask yourself whether it will still matter in a day or a week. That often helps you gain a good perspective.

But, I truly believe that life gets better as you get older. You will have more freedom to make choices about how you spend your time and energy. That’s why it’s important to choose to add positive experiences and people to your life. If your life isn’t all that you wish it were, then you have the power to change it. Never forget that.

Be Kind. That’s just a good one to keep in mind. It is never the wrong decision to treat someone with kindness. It never backfires or leads you astray. So that’s just basic good advice. When you’re stuck and not sure how to respond to someone, choose kindness.

So yeah, Have Courage and Be Kind. Remember, Everything will eventually fall into place.

Love,
19 year old me