Hey, kid,

Take it easy. It's just me... 30 years later. A little unsought advice (and worth every cent you paid for it):

Mom and dad love you much more than you think they do. Try to see that, ok? I wish I could tell you to talk to them more (over tea, late at night), but I know you're too angry and mistrustful to be able to do that. Can you believe that someday you'll want to do that? Ah well, didn't think so.

Don't be afraid to ask for help. Don't be afraid to tell the truth.

I wish I could tell you not to be afraid of getting close to people, but I'm still afraid of it. Maybe you could give *me* a break and think about it earlier, huh?

You will find it in yourself to be a beginner at any age, with enough patience to work through the steepest part of the learning curve. This is a good thing. It also means you can sing on stage, land a role in a play, teach folkdancing... The only "never" is never knowing what you can succeed at (other than ending sentences with prepositions).

You are a good friend to your friends. Someday, you'll be surprised to realize that you learned that from your mother.

You don't need to be afraid of college. It will be much easier, and WAY much more fun, than you thought it would be.

Pay attention to your strengths and weaknesses. Just because you think you should be able to do something doesn't mean that it's worth the effort. You can step down from a challenge without shame.

I don't need to tell you to keep reading, writing, and thinking. Good thing, that.

You're very emotional, but not fragile. Even when you feel fragile. Trust me, I wouldn't be writing this to you if you were really fragile.

You have found some of your people. You will find more of them.

Again: don't be afraid to ask for help. When you can't figure out how to climb out of a hole, it's time to ask someone to throw you (carefully!) a rope or a ladder. Standing at the bottom of the hole feeling helpless is somehow safer, but it doesn't get you out of the hole.

Good luck, kiddo. Keep on trying.

 love,

well... me, I guess