to my former self My darling, Wipe the tears from your face. One day you'll be laughing as you remember why you cry. It's not as bad as you make it out to be. But you should know this: you're too hard on yourself. You complicate the simplest things by doubting your ability to choose what's right. You overthink and overcompensate for problems that never existed. You don't need everyone's seal of approval to function in this world. It's actually impossible. You're still young, and you have a lot of mistakes to make in order to get as far as I've gotten. But my darling, I beseech you: Keep your head up. Do the right thing, even when it's hard. Learn to let go of your mistakes and let others make their own. You're never going to be perfect, but that's what makes you human. Yes, keep wiping those tears, the ones blurring the view of the beautiful world outside. Wipe them away so you can get back out there and start living.