Letter to 16 Year-Old Me

Dear 16 year-old Ashley,


Wow, you have finally reached the age where you can date! You have been waiting for this moment ever since you became a Beehive. You will have many crushes this year and will experience some heartbreak. You will make the decision to value your morals above boys. There will be a boy in your Spanish class that will test you and try to twist your religion around, but you will not be swayed. You will stand firm and realize that your happiness does not depend on what society values as being "normal" high school experiences.


Even though you really want to go to the After-prom party on Sunday, you will not miss much. You will recognize that decision as being one of the moments where you got to put your faith to the test. That moment, however small, will be a great experience in staying true to yourself. Breathe.....I know you feel that getting straight A's is necessary, that if you do not, the world will somehow come to an end. Just realize that there is more to life than perfect grades.


I know you believe that you know everything. You know exactly how to carry yourself in every situation.
You know all there is to know about life.
About relationships.
About boys.
About faith.
I want to tell you to stay open and to not assume that you know what the future holds...you know what they say about people that assume things.........................


If I know you at all, you are a little naive when it comes to love. You think that there is a soul-mate out there that will be your perfect match. This person will love EVERYTHING about you. Don't worry, you will come to change your opinions about love and you will realize that soul-mates are an illusion....there is something much better. You will realize that you do not have only one chance at love. You will be able to love different people in order to learn and grow.


Ash, pay better attention in Math...pretty please?
Don't take life too seriously. I know you think that this is the most stressed that you have ever been, but I can assure you, it will only get worse.
You are empathetic and feel too much. You cannot stand to watch the news and hear about the suffering and loss of others.
You cry at the thought of a Soldier going off to war and leaving his family behind. You cry when you think that there are children that starve for both food and love. Keep this quality Ashley. It is not a curse, it is one of the things that make you uniquely you.


Don't worry about boys. One day you are going to meet one that puts all the boys that you liked before to shame. When that day comes, we are both going to be so grateful that you waited to give your heart to someone that loves not only you, but more importantly, the Savior.


I want to tell you to think more carefully before you say certain things...but who are we kidding? You already over-think too many things anyways. I do want to tell you to stay true to yourself. At the end of the day, you are your harshest critic.


With love,
19..soon to be 20 year-old Ashley


P.S. BYU is amazing and you will be soo grateful for your hard-work. It will all pay off! The boy has yet to be found....but he is out there somewhere :)

High School Graduation

Freshman Year at BYU