I’m sorry for all of that, but along the way, I have at least collected some information you might find useful. I sure wish someone had done it for me.
- You are the most important person in your life. Yes, I said that, and I mean it. The good kind of self-love makes you better, makes you happy, and motivates you to fulfill your dreams — all while giving love to those around you. In the bad kind of self-love, narcissism, people have no intent of loving others. I believed for the longest time that “doing for others” was my ticket to heaven. Really. I busted my chops trying to be the best friend I could be. To make sure I didn’t forget a birthday. To always be a shoulder to cry on. I believed that if I did so, others would reciprocate, and that would be my reward for being such a “good” person. I was wrong. This is not to say that you shouldn’t help others or go out of your way to help others, or that others won’t be there for you. (Besides, you know that’s not true.) But your focus should be on what you want. You can’t love others, truly, if you don’t love yourself first. It took me forever to get this one, and I don’t want you to have to reinvent the wheel.
- Never accept disrespect. Ever. This is not to say that you should ignore every slight made against you, but sometimes you just have to be confident and move on. Unlike your mother, you have never been one to wear your heart on your sleeve. I have always alternately admired and feared that in you. I remember when you were in high school and had to write a personal essay about someone who impacted your life. Each of you had to read your essays to the class. One of your closest friends, also in that class, chose to write an essay that was critical of you, which she read aloud. To this day, I don’t know why she did it, nor do I care. What I cared about was seeing your heart broken by this betrayal. I hurt for you because I had no answer for you. I couldn’t explain why a friend had done that. All I could do was tell you how much I loved you, and hold you while you cried. Soon, as life seems to go, the issue passed, and you two became close again. Funny thing, though. One day not long after your reconciliation, you told me that you’d learned something. You said that no matter what had been said or done, you still had yourself. I was blown away. You taught me a lesson in self-respect. Now, I ask you not to forget it. Knowing that you deserve respect from everyone is huge. You may not receive it, but regardless, you don’t have to absorb disrespect.
- You are greatly loved by your family. I think that at your age, it’s quite easy to forget that. After all, “spending time with family” isn’t always your idea of a great Saturday night. It can seem like a gigantic pain in the butt. But the truth is, at the end of the day, the love of your family is the one thing that you can always count on. I think you already know this. I remember hearing you, at age eight, stand next to your month-old brother’s crib believing you were alone with him, and saying “Don’t ever worry. I will always take care of you.” I can’t even tell you how blessed I felt in that moment to know that the two of you (despite the growing pains over the years) would always be there for each other. Your family will always be your your retreat and your safety. Be patient with yourself and others. There will be many ups and downs, but if you stay grounded in these ideas, you will find so much more inner peace, confidence, and strength. There will be losses and there will be gains. But if you understand that you are loved, by you, you cannot fail. I love you, Mom
