To My Former Self

To the girl I once was,
This letter is meant for you.

There are things I wish I’d known back then,
but this isn’t to shame or scold you.

The past may seem distant, but it’s closer than it feels,
We did our best with what we had, and what we knew.
The only difference between us now?
Time—I’ve had more of it to see things through.

Life isn’t as straightforward as we once believed.
Remember how we thought a few well-placed prayers would guarantee us everything we dreamed of?

Remember the rules we made, the lines we drew,
for ourselves and others too
We thought we understood it all,
but now I see how much we missed.
I’m sorry for the words I said, the things I thought I deserved—
Safety, security, a place to call home.

I claimed them as my right, without seeing
how others struggled just to survive.
I used to think handouts only hurt,
that systems could be fixed with words alone.

To the girl I once was,
You’re going to take the scenic route through life.
And there’s nothing you could ever do or say
to separate you from the love of the One who made you exactly as you were meant to be.

You’ll find Him in places you never expected,
In faces and hearts you once overlooked.
So go—reach out to the mothers who grieve,
To those who hunger, both in body and soul.
Stand with the oppressed, cry out for justice,
And walk alongside those who’ve suffered long.
Sit at every table, share a meal with those you once avoided,
And dance to the rhythm of life, even when the song is unfamiliar.
Cry with the women who’ve lost,
and honor those who still fight for freedom’s cause.

You didn’t learn this overnight,
So keep asking questions.