Dearest Younger Self,

Today will most likely be another day where you sit behind a closed door that your parents refuse to open. Today will most likely be another day where you wonder if there will ever be a time when things won’t feel this way.

The years will teach you that children deserve unconditional love, attention, and acceptance as they grow into the people they are meant to become. And it pains me to admit there will be many times in your life when you do not receive that. I am so sorry.

“There are people who will need you. There are things that only you can do. There is a purpose for your life.”

But, I do promise things won’t always be this way. You won’t always wonder if your parents will come out to play or if your next meal will be more than just cereal and milk. You won’t always have to take care of your brothers or make sure someone wakes up in time to take you to school.

There will be moments where you question yourself, your existence, your “why.” Honestly, the first twenty years of your life will be a really hard journey. One where you need an outlet to get you to the other side. There will even come a moment in time when you do not know how to move forward.

And in that moment, you’ll know the one, I want you to remember one thing and one thing only — you are important. There are people who will need you. There are things that only you can do. There is a purpose for your life.

Hold on for just a little while longer, darling. In just a matter of minutes, the sun will start to peek through the clouds.

“In that moment, the one where you think you might not make it through one more day of clouds and rain, I want you to create.“

But until then, walk back to your room where your books and Walkman and colored pencils lie scattered across the floor — and in that moment, the one where you think you might not make it through one more day of clouds and rain, I want you to create.

Do the one thing where there are absolutely no boundaries. The one thing that helps you express yourself and dream and speak, all in one place. It may be the only thing you know how to do for a while, and that is more than okay. You will thank God that you know how to do it when you need it most.

It will help you understand that you can create the life you have always dreamed of. When you combine all of those hopes and dreams with that strong imagination of yours, you will create something absolutely beautiful that this world has never seen.

“When you combine all of those hopes and dreams with that strong imagination of yours, you will create something absolutely beautiful.”

And because of that, you will not only be free from what you are feeling at this moment, you will also become everything you want and need. Your dreams will be what propels you forward and helps you escape all of this.

Now, I’m going to let you in on a little secret… I’m writing to you today because I just discovered something very special about us. I won’t spoil the fun of how I discovered this, but I will tell you what it is.

One day when that closed door is just a distant memory locked in the confines of your mind, and you are spending your life creating what you love most, you will take a look at where you are and realize: We made it.

We defied the odds. We took something ugly and painful and turned it into someone you are extremely proud of. You took the broken dishes and trinkets and ink and combined them into a story to tell. And that story may very well be what helps those around you hold on. Helps those around you feel seen.

“The icing on the cake is that you will tell this story from a safe place — your home.“

And the icing on the cake is that you will tell this story from a safe place — your home.

One day you will own a home with a door that remains open for anyone who needs a place to run to — a place of solace, a sanctuary from the outside world where they know the only thing they need to do in your home, in your presence, is just be.

“You will learn that there will always be something going on in the background of your life, but it won’t feel nearly as impossible as it once did.”

The very thing that you need in this moment in your youth, will turn out to make up the essence of who you are as a woman — kind, free, and loving.

You will learn that there will always be something going on in the background of your life, but it won’t feel nearly as impossible as it once did. One day, you will start to desire the things to come, and realize that you will give love, receive it, and finally feel like you deserve it.

I know you may not be able to see the possibility of this yet, and it will take a long time for you to discover the sunshine that is waiting for you, but I’m planting the seed now so that you can have hope for a better future. Good things are coming.

So, promise me that you will just hold on for a little while longer to experience the joy you have always wished for. For in just a few years, your life will feel very, very special.

Love,

The Woman You’ll Become

Madison Leigh King is an author, writer, and copywriter from North Carolina. Avid reader turned writer, she draws inspiration from her favorite works and interweaves personal experience into what she creates. She loves sharing stories over coffee, prioritizing movement, and spending slow mornings in her Southeastern home. Follow along on her journey as she writes her first novel on Instagram and TikTok.