Rip To The Girl I Used To Be

So, I was scrolling through my old photos the other day, you know, the usual nostalgia trip. And there she was - the girl I used to be. I mean, who even is that person? It felt like looking at a stranger, but with my own face. Weird, right?

I mean, don't get me wrong, I wasn't expecting to find a supermodel or anything. But the girl staring back at me was... different. Like, really different. I mean, what was with the hair? And the clothes? And why did I think that was a good idea?

Time for a Reality Check

I mean, we've all been there, right? Staring at our younger selves, wondering what on earth we were thinking. But it got me thinking - why do we do that? Why do we look back and cringe at our old selves?

I mean, sure, it's funny. I laughed so hard I spilled my coffee. But it's also a bit sad, isn't it? I mean, that was me. That was my life. And I was just... laughing at it.

Rip to the Past

So, I decided to write a little something to that girl. You know, the one I used to be. The one I laughed at, and cringed at, and felt sorry for. I decided to give her a little shout out. A little 'rip', if you will.

Here goes nothing, I thought. And I started typing:

Dear girl I used to be,

First off, what was with the hair? I mean, really. And the clothes? I know fashion is cyclical, but come on. That was a low point, even for the 90s.

But hey, you were trying. You were figuring it out. And that's okay. That's more than okay. That's great. Because look at you now. You're here. You're reading this. You made it through all the awkward phases and the bad decisions and the heartbreaks.

You're still here. And that's something to be proud of.

Girl I Used to Be by Mary Torjussen (2018, Trade Paperback) for sale

So, here's to you, girl I used to be. Here's to all the mistakes and the missteps and the moments that made you who you are. Here's to the girl who was brave enough to be herself, even when she didn't know who that was yet.

Keep going, girl. You're doing just fine.

From,

Me. (You, in the future. You'll see.)

And you know what? It felt good. It felt really good. I mean, sure, I still laughed at the hair. But I also felt a little... proud. Of her. Of me. Of us. All of us, past, present, future. We're all just figuring it out, right?

So, Here's to You

I guess what I'm saying is, let's cut ourselves some slack. Let's look back at our old selves and see the strength, not the embarrassment. Let's see the journey, not the mistakes. Let's see the progress, not the setbacks.

Because we're all just trying to figure it out. We're all just trying to be the best version of ourselves. And that's okay. That's more than okay. That's great.

So, here's to the girl I used to be. And here's to you. The girl you used to be. The girl you are now. The girl you're becoming. You're doing just fine. Keep going.