Dear Younger Kaci,It’s your Birthday today! You’re 32! Can you believe it?! Since hindsight is 20/20, I wanted to give you some insight from your older self as a birthday gift. Your life isn’t always going to be easy, but I want you to know it will always be worth it. Your choices matter, so I have some advice for you to make it just a little easier. Growing up, you’re not going to be in the “popular” crowd and sometimes you will feel like you don’t fit in. But have confidence in yourself anyways. Your empathy for people will grow because of it and you will work that much harder to make sure people feel included, seen, and heard.

After high school, you’re going to get into a bad car accident caused by a guy on meth. The accident is going to break your back, and I’m not going to lie, it’s going to hurt real bad. Forgive him anyways. We all need someone to believe in us, and grace is the best cure for a lost heart.

You’re going to mess up a lot. You’re going to feel shame, sometimes you’ll struggle against pride, and you’re going to have to apologize more times than you ever wanted to. Forgive yourself anyways. You’ll learn from your mistakes, so brush off the bad, and keep growing into a better version of yourself.

You’re going to have a crush on a boy that drives you nuts. He will test your patience, but pray for him anyways. One day he will come through for you when you least expect it.

You’re going to have cancer. I know this will make you upset, and I know it seems unfair. But have faith anyways. You will have the opportunity to show your faith in a powerful way. So take a deep breath, girl, and keep your chin up. Make this time count.

Your life is going to be filled with lots of ups and downs, and sometimes it will feel like it doesn’t make sense. But appreciate every moment anyways. You will have the most amazing community of people surrounding you, and I promise you, they will always get you through.

I’m telling you, girl, you’re in for a wild ride. But it’s a beautiful ride too. Every day is a gift so treat it as such. And if you’re ever in a place where you don’t know what to do, just remember that love always wins. Start there and the rest will be okay.

Love,

32-Year-Old Kaci