Letter to my younger self
A blog to mark International Day of the Girl and celebrate girls everywhere as they take charge of their own future
About the author
Elma Slabic is a first year university student from Sarajevo and a young activist. She participated in the first UPSHIFT in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
"Dear,
I know you will be too impatient to read every word of this little "letter" I have written to you. Your eyes are probably bouncing from the first letter of one word to the last letter of the other word. You are just like a butterfly, always in a hurry. Calm down. Don't hurry. You won't be late anywhere, you won't miss anything, trust me. You do not see the world as it is, but as it could be. It's true, my darling, "You have more kindness in your little finger than most people have all together."!
You believe in fairy tales, but this world is not just another fairy tale. The world has never been less like a fairy tale. There were never more kisses and less love. Medicine has never been more advanced, and there have never been more diseases. People have never had more reasons to be happy and there have never been more unhappy lives. People loudly said that war is the biggest nonsense, but... There has never been more food, yet people are still starving. Children's rights were never more apparent, stronger, important, but some children are still crying? Why? …
Women have never been stronger, but it has never been harder to be a woman.
Equality and Justice have never been more wanted but fewer and fewer people are implementing them! Yes. The world is far from what it looks like through your rose-tinted glasses. But you know what? Who cares? You can change the world the way you think you can. You can do it! You leave a mark on everyone you touch. You're hugging this cold world. You can be anything you want. Anything... President. Chef. Manager. Bus driver. Actress. Ballerina. Soldier. Teacher. Programmer. You must believe in yourself. If you don't, then who will?
You must make yourself proud first! You must be your number one fan!
You can dream whatever you want, you can love whatever and whoever you want. Don't let your tears put out the fire inside you! You will cry, but you will also scream out of joy. You are not worth less than someone else.Dear. I'm not telling you this just to cheer up you. Both of us know you are amazing! You are strong!
Girl, you are a woman.
To sum up my dear,
Don't forget that this world isn't a fairy tale but there is a little bit of magic everywhere. Go find it. Make miracles out of your life. You can do it because you are one. My beautiful girl do not forget to invest in the process, not just the result. Self-confidence comes only from you and only from knowledge.
Your "big you" is sending you kisses from the top of your dreams that are slowly but surely, coming true."
