DAY 22: A LETTER TO MY CHILDHOOD SELF

It’s your 13^th birthday today, and in just six months’ time, you’ll be heading off to high school (don’t worry about those final Afrikaans and Maths exams – you did pass them, and you aren’t going to fail, and you’re going to go to high school next year like everyone else).

My wish for you is to enjoy the next three or so years, because they will be some of your best and most cherished (oh, and you can cherish them in much more detail if you speak to your mother and demand an immediate eye test. It isn’t normal to get up from your desk to see the board. It’s called short-sightedness).

Your first years of high school precede the much tougher emotional challenges that come with growing up. Suddenly, one day, you’ll find yourself facing battles much more serious than your maths mark. You’ll wonder how it’s possible for people close to you to affect you so much more, both in good and bad ways.

In all those situations, I want you just to… breathe. Because no matter how bad things can seem, they always pass. No single moment (or day, or month) defines your whole life, so please don’t let it!

Next year, try to work a bit harder. You’re far too smart to be struggling through some of these exams – no, you don’t need to be first in class, but you are at minimum a B student. Please believe that, and don’t accept anything less of yourself.

Oh, and PT period at high school. Don’t stress about that either, because as small and awkward as you may be, you’ll be in better shape than most of your ‘cool’ class mates 15 years down the line (trust me on this, because, well, I’m you). Plus, you’ll be able to escape 90% of PT classes at high school by ‘using them for music practise’, so what’s the point of stressing about a class you’ll only attend 10% of the time?

You’re going to form some amazing friendships soon, and further grow those you already have. Cherish them, because most will still be around when you’re much older (you and I, we value our friends – we’re cool like that). Friendships and family will become extremely important parts of your life, so do your best to work at them. And speaking of family, don’t just live in the same house as them, but speak to them, help them where you can and learn from them.

And the matric ball? Nobody remembers it after it happens anyway. Go with anyone, or by yourself, or in a shorts. IT’S NOT A BIG DEAL.

And one more thing, I’d go for a journalism degree if I were you. Just do it and it will make things a bit easier for you down the line.

It will also be easier just to tell people things (verbally, as opposed to those cryptic messages you’re so good at writing) – your instincts are almost always right, and no matter what you have to tell, your real friends will accept it within about 10 seconds.

For everything else I haven't shared with you here, well, you'll figure it out. Besides, I can't give you that much of a head-start - it wouldn't be fair to your peers.

See you soon.

PS: You’re buying your first phone with the pocket money you’ve saved in just a few months. It’s going to be one of the best days of your life. Just remember your limit: no more than three, off-peak SMS messages per day, which will cost you 75c. And Venus is going to be surpassed by Serena in greatness soon – oh, you think that’s funny? Well, just you wait.