19 thoughts

Thoughts of 19 y/o Sally - 

Let yourself be vulnerable. They will have names, some of which you won’t remember, some however will be etched into your brain forever, and its okay. No one finds love on the first try. Every time someone leaves you, you tend to shut some part of you off, and yes, I know you’re just trying to protect yourself, but building a wall so high around your heart will only leave you miserable and sad when you know you need companionship to make it through the rough days. You will only meet a handful of decent guys in your life, and even less will be willing to climb it, so don’t let that wall stop you from experiencing. I want you to never give up finding the person who makes everyday worth living.

You don’t owe anyone anything. Just because he was nice, chivalrous and bought you dinner or even just asked you how you’ve been, it doesn’t mean you owe them anything. Never think that you are obligated to make others feel better because even though you likely still believe in the good of people, some are just not worth losing a part of because over time you will miss the simplicity of holding hands, or the anticipation of the first kiss, and Sally, its not worth it. If you are not comfortable in a situation, speak up. Don’t think that you are not worthy of feeling safe and comfortable even if it’ll upset somebody else. Don’t brush off the warning signals in your brain when he slips his hand under your waistband, don’t brush off the fact that he only calls you babe when ur in his bed. You don’t need a million reasons to walk away, just do it. You are your first priority always, don’t forget that.

You will make mistakes. No matter in a relationship or your career, mistakes are inevitable, and for god sakes its okay. Don’t put yourself down for little mistakes, don’t let them define you or make you feel you like don’t deserve a chance. But then again learn from them. Acknowledge the mistakes you made and swear to never make them again. Hold on to the feeling of disappointment and transfer that into something that drives you into being a better person.

And above all, tell your family you love them. In a few years’ time, if things go as planned, you will currently be in the middle of finishing your physio degree. Placements, assignments and exams are important, but always remember the people who made chasing your dreams possible. Say thank you to your parents and apologize that it took this long for you to realize how grateful you are to have them. Say thank you to mum for all the sleepless nights and boy talks that kept you from doing silly things. Say thank you to dad for all the sweat and tears he put into his job just to make sure you had the resources to live a happy and fulfilling life. Say thank you to your evil sister, for teaching you the beauty of sharing life and for becoming a great woman to look up to. Don’t be afraid to say “I love you” to them, its okay to be vulnerable. Tell them how thankful you are even though words cant even fully express themselves.