Thursday, May 30, 2013

Letter to 17-year-old Me.

I love me some country music.
I love me some Brad Paisley.
On the way home from work I was listening to said B. Paisley and on came his song "Letter to Me."
If you've never heard it...go do so.
It's great.
In it he writes a letter to his 17-yr-old self.
I've heard it lots of times before, but this time I started to think more about myself at 17.
And then I decided to follow Brad's lead and write to 17-yr-old Kaycie.

Hello Kaycie,
It's me...Kaycie.

(I'm starting to feel awkward.......
I'll finish it anyway.....)

Right now it's 2013 and oh how much will your life change from where it's currently at in 2004.
First things first: you're so beautiful with those big, brown eyes and thick, brown hair.
So since you are...QUIT plucking your eyebrows so dang thin and QUIT putting blonde highlights in your hair.  It looks bad.  So just stop.
You're not fat.  You're so far from fat it's ridiculous.  Quit comparing yourself to the twigs in your ballet class.  Your body was made for other styles of dance.
Enjoy being a size 5.  The birthing hips will come in your Freshman year.
Don't feel bad that you don't get asked to come to the school parties.  They DO NOT matter so keep enjoying your time at home with your parents on those Friday nights.
Be more thankful for the paradise you live in.  There are no beaches where you currently are!
Most of your friends will fade.  Keep spending quality time with them, but just don't think they will last forever.  The most important friendships will last.  
Which leads me to Katie Claire and Brittany.  Good thing you love them so much because they're not going anywhere.




Enjoy free room and board while you can.  Life starts handing you bills.
Your first kiss will be "meh" or "blah" or any other non exciting word you want to put there.
Your second kiss though...that'll be fun at the time.  So just enjoy.
Take some tumbling classes now.  You'll be a better hip hop teacher in the future for it.
Keep being honest with your parents.  You get more privileges that way.
Thankfully you already know this, but, keep being an example at school.  You will receive the kindest compliments in your yearbook and the nicest notes from your classmates expressing their appreciation for it.
When you get to college...soak in EVERY LAST BIT while you're there.  You're going to miss it more than you realize once you graduate.
Don't feel bad when you never get asked out at BYU.  I know, I know...it's BYU...isn't it branded for that sort of thing?  One would think.  But you don't need any of the guys there romantically so it just doesn't matter.
Well...I guess I ruined that surprise.  Yes, you will get in to BYU!  All of your hard work will pay off.
Cutting your hair to your ears may sound like a good idea at the time.  But it's not.  I repeat.  IT'S NOT A GOOD IDEA!
I won't ruin all of college for you...but just be flexible.  Your college life will end up being far more fulfilling than you ever realize because of flexibility in your plans.
Besides all of that...you're doing pretty good for a 17-yr-old!  Your life is actually quite fun, you go to a great school, you're happy & talented...consider yourself lucky.

Lastly, you're going to go through something hard.  So excruciatingly hard.  So hard that you'll wonder if you even still have a soul at times.  But if you stay close to the Lord you will get through it.  I promise.  You won't get through it quickly...but you'll find yourself triumphant on the other side and it will all make sense.
It will all make sense because Heavenly Father has an amazing life planned for you.
(Well...up to 26, but I'm sure it's planned out to be amazing beyond 26.)
He will bless you with someone far more loving and honorable than you ever could have imagined.
He will bless you with someone who will cherish you so so much.
He will bless you with someone who has the same life goals and will help you accomplish those goals.
I won't tell you his name, how you meet, how you fall in love, or what you're doing now...but just know you're in for quite a treat and you will thank Heavenly Father every day for blessing you so.

Enjoy Senior Year and eat as much Rita's Italian Ice as you can!
-2013 Kaycie



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