Letter to the 16 Year Old Me

"When you go through life, so sure of where you’re headin', and you wind up lost and it's the best thing that could have happened..." ~Brad Paisley, Find Yourself

This week instead of writing to Mr. Right, I'm writing to myself. You guys have probably seen this done before. I wrote a letter to my 20 year old self a while back. I recently read a magazine article where famous people wrote back to their 16 year old selves and knew I wanted to play along.

Dear 16 Year Old Tiffany,


You might want to sit down for this first part. You're 28. You don't have kids. You're not married. Heck, you don't even have a boyfriend. That boy you think you love now...he marries someone else. Are you okay? Still breathing? Good. Because your life is better than you even know to imagine.

You will see the sun rise and set on the other side of the world. And from your apartment window overlooking San Francisco Bay. And from a table at Tavern On The Green in Central Park.

You'll watch the gold helmets run onto the field at Notre Dame, the crazy towel waiving at Kyle Field and cheer on your team at Boone Pickens Stadium (which doesn't exist yet.)


One day, you're going to love running. Seriously. And you'll finish a half marathon. Maybe you could stop slacking when running suicides in basketball practice.

You will wake up one day and realize that you've managed to accumulate a group of friends from all different chapters in your life. And they love you unconditionaly. And they make you a better person.

Oh, and those boys...the ones who keep sticking you in the "friend" or "sister" category? That'll still annoy you at 28, but you'll realize that their friendship is so important in your life that you wouldn't trade it for anything, even the "girlfriend" category.

You'll kneel to pray at St. Peter's Bascilica, next to the remains of St. Paul in Rome, at a Grotto in South Bend, in the Washington National Cathedral and in a quiet church in North Beach.

You'll sing karoke in a bar full of people. Snorkel in Mexico. Rush a football field. White water raft. Wear a fancy dress and hat at a steeplechase. See George Strait in concert. And tour the Swiss Alps.

Don't get me wrong, there will be bad times. You'll have to say goodbye far too soon to people who you love more than words can say. You'll have your heart broken. You'll total a vehicle. And wish time would stand still when change comes your way.

But through it all, you somehow find yourself. And you find the person who you want to be. And you manage to really live. That's a gift.

Enjoy the ride,
Tiffany at 28