Dear Me...

i was reminded today of a post i was going to write along time ago and never did.

(actually , it was originally a scrapbook page).

the idea came from mr. brad paisley, who(m?) , in between singing ridiculousness, actually gets some gems in there.

remember Letter To Me ?

so here i go:

Dear Mandy @ 17:

don't compare yourself to all your skinny minny friends.

you are skinny. you just have the curves !you look dang good, enjoy it!

in fact, wear a bikini at least once.  it's your last shot.

when aubrey says "i have a great idea, " be slightly concerned.

on second thought, this never changes, even @ 30 years old...

I am proud of you being a light to your peers.

you may just want to be a little less harshly confrontationtal with them.

share Jesus now with those you love...it doesn't get easier.

spend more time with your high school friends than with the older ones.

you don't have to be in sharis/dennys/dutch bros. every night, all night.

if you miss something, it wasn't important anyways.

the guy you fall hard for, well, he's not right for you.  be his friend. he needs it.

and whatever you do, do not take a guy you are seeing homemade brownies while he's on a date with another girl! (true story. and yes, i was an idiot)

please remember that while your mind is pure and naive, the boys you are around are not!  don't make it more difficult for them by unknowingly being a tease.

and that hard to swallow advice from church staff regarding dressing modestly?  they aren't picking on you for your shape like you think they are.  chew on it, don't spit it right out.  they are trying to protect you.

Crystal will still be one of your best friends in a decade +.  nourish that relationship even more.

instead of watching MTV or hanging with your friends, DO YOUR HOMEWORK!

you really will wish you had paid more attention (especially History!).

 on that note, everything you hear on LOVELINE is so not how it should be.

don't let jess talk you into singing shania twain at the moose lodge.  it's painful for everyone involved.

don't down play your intelligence.   and i know it is hard, but don't care so much about what they think.

it's okay to let go of the past.  it's okay not to be consumed by the family issues.  you don't have to wallow in it.  it has not defined you.

your Hill grandparents won't be here very long.  talk to them.

for heaven's sakes give your lungs a break from your older smoking friends, and refuse to sit with them in the smoking section.  you'll be okay in non -smoking, and all you'll miss is toxicity.

you should make Pat take you to prom.  he's the rightful date.  and just laugh when you are nominated prom princess, it's an honor...not embarrassing. (even if raech totally talked everyone into it).

don't get your feelings hurt so easily.  toughen up.

stop wasting your time on boys that you know, deep down, you don't even really like.

and don't write that letter to the one you do really like.  it's not nice, even with good intentions.

be a better big sister.  and aunt.

do not pitch a fit over your first car.  appreciate your mom and what she's doing.  you should be spanked and grounded and all sorts of punished.

if april invites you up to college, and you go to a party, don't wear aubrey's good butt jeans.( actually, it was nice to be hit on so much, i can't lie.)  but don't go in some guys bedroom because he wants to talk.  yes, all he does is talk, but it's still stupid of you to not see the danger involved!

rethink some of your formal wear choices.

learn to like exercise now.  invest in a good sports bra and don't let them bother you!

clean your car.  and your room.  and how can you sleep without sheets on the bed?!

don't let the fear of not being good enough hold you back from things you really want to do.

 don't worry, you'll find love sooner than you think.  and with a guy you'd never even dream of loving you back.

actually do a senior project.  don't fake the whole thing.

don't worry about loosing touch with everyone...this new thing called facebook will make it impossible to not see everyone again;)

stick with the speech team.  don't let the winning right off the bat set you off the rest of high school.

and don't forget the most important part of your state mock trial role.

you are pleasing the Lord.  stay walking with Him.  don't let anything other than His love define you.

don't steal signs from the forest service. or cones from the city. etc.  what you thought was a harmless prank could have gotten you into lots of trouble. (once again, we'll go back to the 'aubrey' lesson ...)

God Bless,

Mandy

and P.S. don't worry...these are NOWHERE near the best years of your life...