Love Letter

Dear Older Version of Me,

I am sorry for all of the things that I did to make life worse for you. For example, all of the sleep I cost you and sunscreen I dismissed--I apologize for those. I apologize for listening to my music much louder than necessary and for choosing not to floss, besides the week before and after a dental appointment. I'm sorry for staring at the computer screen for hours and for scrunching my face and causing you those well-defined forehead folds. I wish I would've spent some money on those memory vitamins or strong sports bras, because I'm sure the dragging and sagging damage has been done. And that time I drank too much and then fell onto my left shoulder, forgetting to properly clean the thing for nearly two days and ending up with a 3-inch scar...yeah, I'm sorry for that now, too.

But, if it is any consolation, the younger you did do some great things. I tried things that made me scared. I said no. I said yes. I felt things, right to the heart. I hurt. I healed. I did a lot of things. Some of them made it possible for you to do more things now. Some things made others more difficult. What is important is that- even if I had the chance- I wouldn't do any of those things differently. I know you probably think otherwise, being "older" and "wiser." But, as you also know, that thing known as regret...can shorten a life. And we wouldn't want that now, would we?

Love and life,
Me