An Open Letter To My 2018-Self

Dear Anna,

I want to congratulate you for making it this far! You actually made it! I know it was never easy.

You have come to realize that some days aren’t perfect, there are still struggles, there’s still pain… But you have handled it well. You became a stronger person now more than ever. You mastered the courage to accept the things you cannot change and let go of people you thought you can’t live without. You became more comfortable in your own skin. You challenged yourself to become bold. I am so proud of you. Of what you have accomplished; of what you have become; and what was left of you. And thank you. Thank you for being here. Thank you for staying alive. Thank you for never giving up on you.

I can’t guarantee you that 2019 will be the best year of your life or that you won’t get hurt along the way, but I can tell you that when the big waves come crushing in, I know that you can sail right through it because 2018 has prepared you well. But more than anything else, I wish that the coming year be your year of freedom. Free to chase your dreams and free to become the person you want to be.

And I do hope that when the clock strikes 12 at midnight to start the new year, you can tell yourself:

“Here you are. Here you are at last.”

Always Hopeful,

Anna