Dear 13 Year Old Self

This post is inspired by Kelle Hampton and Darcy Wild

I am a woman. I am a mother. I am a daughter. I am a wife. I am a sister. I am an aunt. I am a niece. I am a God-Mother. I am a friend. And being female is hard. It was a lot harder when I was young, for sure. Peer pressure got to me at times and I was more concerned about who my friends were and how I appeared to others than just loving myself for me. I think my worst years were the beginning of  junior high and then the beginning of high school. Just trying to figure out where I fit, where I belong, where I felt the most loved. Most of the time I knew when I was hanging out with the wrong crowd. My conscience was extra loud for some reason and the times when I dismissed it are the times when I got into trouble and did things I regret the most.

I've learned over the course of my life so far that women have an incredible bond with each other. I've learned this through my family and through my best friends. I wouldn't be the woman I am today without the help of the other women in my life. And even though I don't have any daughters to raise and teach them all about inner beauty and embracing yourself for who you are, I can focus my energy on raising amazing men who will love women the way they should. Who will respect women, treat them the way they deserve to be treated. It helps that my boys have an incredible father as a role model too. So even though I might not have any female connections in my house (Bailey doesn't count), I understand the importance of female connections and the power of the double x chromosome being!

Dear Thirteen Year Old Molly,
Keep your head up and keep smiling. Stop worrying about what other people think of you. Stick up for yourself and what you believe in. In 13 years when you are married and have two little boys you aren't going to remember all of the parties you did or did not get invited to. You aren't going to remember what lunch table you sat at or that someone wrote you the meanest note in the world. OK, maybe you'll remember that one, but just remember Karma is a bitch. Listen to your conscience. Hang out with your parents. Don't hate on your brother so much, someday he will inspire you so much that you will wish you wouldn't have slammed so many doors in his face. And you know those five friends you've started to hang out with in high school? Treat them right because you are going to need them an incredible amount down the road of your amazing life you are about to embark on. Don't sweat the small stuff. And you know how some people make fun of your obnoxious laugh and your loud tendencies? Embrace them. They are your signature and laughter is the best medicine. You are so much stronger than you give yourself credit for, and someday you will realize that. It might take a certain tragedy in your family to open up your eyes, but you will get there. Don't ever doubt yourself and don't ever give up. Oh and whenever you are feeling down or blue, just talk to mom. She always makes things better. Always.
Love,
The 26 Year Old Molly



I am Woman, hear me roar! ha ha.