To My 18 Year Old Self

As many colleges and high schools are holding graduation ceremonies in the next couple of weekends, I've become a little reminiscent. Or a lot reminiscent. I've also been going through my keepsake boxes from when I was younger and earlier this week I went through all of my graduation cards from high school. I graduated high school with big dreams and high hopes. The next five years didn't exactly go as planned but I wouldn't change them for the world. As such, a note to my 18 year old self.

I wish I could go back and tell my naive 18 year old self that, in all reality, her college education would be a bust, but it would be the life lessons and friendships made during college that will count the most.

I wish I could tell her to just start off in education, but to be prepared for the joke that will be her English degree. I wish I could tell her that her education won't lead to the Master's degree she planned, to the accomplishment she assumed, or even the satisfaction she thought would come with finishing college- just like both of her parents have... multiple times.

I wish I could tell her that she may feel like she ended up becoming a teacher because she wasn't smart enough to do anything else, but she, as a pre-service teacher, had a better understanding of what it means to be an effective educator than do many veteran teachers because she has a special gift in working with adolescents.

I wish I could tell her that college will not nearly be the experience she thought it would be but it will draw her deeper into a faith that she didn't really think possible... that she will fall more in love with a God who cares so deeply for her, who has such a crazy awesome plan for her life, who made her in His perfect image and wants so badly for her to love herself, who doesn't intend for college to be the climax of her life because He has so much more in store for her.



I wish I could tell her that despite the struggles and the tears and the doubts...

It will all be okay in the end.