This article was first published in May 2021.
Hindsight is a wonderful thing. As we grow up, we learn from our mistakes, develop our personalities and discover who we are. If we were to write a letter of advice to our younger self, what would we tell them? What do we know now that we wish we knew then? What have we learned?
For this series of thought-provoking films, we asked eighteen young people to write a letter to their younger selves. This is Dear Younger Me.
Dear younger me,
You're doing so well, just remember to pick up your instruments to practise more often, okay?
I know you love being the life of the party, but you're allowed to rest. Your friends will still be there for you if you go home early and those who aren't don't deserve a second of your time.
Go home once in a while. Hug your mum and give your dog the biggest cuddle, because you'll miss that more than words can say when she's gone.
I know your relationship with your body isn't a loving one, but your body is incredible. It can run, it can dance, it can kiss. You push it to its limits and it's never let you down yet. But Chloe, one day your body won't be able to keep up with you.
Cancer is such an alien word, so far from how invincible you see yourself. But, when you're nineteen it will knock you down like a ton of bricks.
And when you're lying, hairless, unable to move, you'll wish you had the body you once wanted to punish. But, the love you have at the end of that journey will be greater than any love you've ever known, and the people who love you will make you strong.
So cherish the mum you butt heads with so often; the one you've walked out on so many times… because she would do anything for you and she is stronger than you can imagine. Cherish the dad who you rarely see because he wants to see you so badly, and he would move the Earth just to make you smile. And cherish the friends who treat you like family because soon they'll show you how much they love you, and it will blow you away.
Love your body, because Chloe, you're going to make it.
Love from your twenty-three-year-old self.
Your body is incredible: it can run, it can dance, it can kiss – you push it to its limits and it's never let you down yet.
23–year–old Chloe had cancer when she was younger. In this Dear Younger Me, Chloe tells her younger self that although she's the life of the party, she should also take time to rest – her friends will still be there for her. She tells herself to go home more often and to take time to hug loved ones. Chloe says that her relationship with her body wasn't a loving one, but that she now knows that her body is incredible. She admits to her younger self that her body will struggle to keep up with her when she develops cancer, but that she will gain strength from the experience too.
If you need support
You should always tell someone about the things you’re worried about. You can tell a friend, parent, guardian, teacher, or another trusted adult. If you're struggling with your mental health, going to your GP can be a good place to start to find help. Your GP can let you know what support is available to you, suggest different types of treatment and offer regular check-ups to see how you’re doing.
If you’re in need of in-the-moment support you can contact Childline, where you can speak to a counsellor. Their lines are open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
There are more links to helpful organisations on the BBC Bitesize Action Line page for young people.
Dear Younger Me: Nathan
If you wrote a letter to your younger self, what would it say? This is Nathan's letter.
Dear Younger Me: Tegan
If you wrote a letter to your younger self, what would it say? This is Tegan's letter.
Dear Younger Me: How letter-writing can help your mental health
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