Me. 8th Grade. Junior High. St. Theresa's.
Who was I? Miserable. Foster child. Personal life really sucked. Felt unlovable. Confident that NOBODY else was as hideous as I or enduring the adolescence I was suffering.Argumentative. Socially inept which led to heightened bullying at school and elsewhere. Foolish.
But I was also funny, ernest, injured, a survivor, a fighter, interested, curious and intellectual.
I was clearly aspiring to be a nun based on the attire here.
What wisdom would I give that girl if I had the opportunity to talk with her? I might say, "You're going to be just fine. You are smart and worthy of love. You'll meet someone wonderful and live a happy fulfilling life of love and family and friends. You'll live to have regrets of course and make many mistakes, but you'll learn from them and enjoy the incredible journey that is your life. And right now Sherry, while you're feeling so unhappy, this too is a part of that experience and it is perfectly what it should be in this moment."
Pictures are a powerful memory tool. Try looking at several of yourself chronologically and see what stories you recall. What would you tell your 13-year-old self if you had the chance?
