Letters to my Sixteen year old self

If I could write a letter to my sixteen year old self I'd have many things to say but I'd have prepare myself for a sixteen year old too stubborn to listen.
I'd tell myself to hang on in there, life gets better and school doesn't last forever. Someday you will wake with out the dread in the pit of your belly and it might not be tomorrow but it will be soon.
I'd tell myself to stand my ground, to not be pushed around so easily and to be prepared to fight for what I believe and true friends don't just casually toss you aside so pick yourself up and dust yourself off, It wont always be like this.

I'd tell myself that you'll escape school intact and even if you're not planning for a future you'll have one anyway and years after you leave school you'll wake from dreams that you are back there and the relief will be palpable but that's okay. In years to come all of this won't matter so it's not worth crying yourself to sleep over. I'd tell myself to stop sharing that terrible angst ridden poetry with anyone that will listen and not all poetry needs to rhyme to have a rhythm and that you will cringe over this in years to come

I'd tell myself to study harder that even though exams aren't everything, Life is easier if you don't have to do things the long way round. I'd tell myself to guard your heart more closely and maybe don't date the guy who works at the meat factory just because it will really make your parents mad. All of that teenage angsty behavior is mostly teenage angst and you're not that original. Teenagers everywhere are writing melodramatic poetry and begging to be allowed paint their room black, you're not that original.

I'd tell myself to be careful when you move to Switzerland and maybe don't take quite so many risks, alcohol does not solve loneliness, generally it makes it worse and life is better if you don't have to wake with a sore head and a hazy feeling of regret. Although I could happily apply the same advice to most of my twenties so let's hope the sixteen year old me would be willing to take notes.

I'd tell myself to steer clear of men named Alan or Arron or maybe just guys whose names begin with the letter A, just to be safe. They are not worth your time or your tears. And maybe learn to look out for the early warning signs of crazy, you'll save yourself so much trouble down the line.

I'd say Laura, Don't be in such a rush to grow up. You'll never be this young and skinny again while eating whatever you like so appreciate it and maybe hold your head a little higher. You're less likely to get stepped on if you look where you're going.

and I'd do this with the acceptance that all this advice might be ignored while a younger me strives to make her own path, doing everything the hard way and learning from mistakes but only after they've been made more than once because what's the fun in working it out right away.