Dear Fourth Grade Me,
It’s going to be okay. Trust me, it will. I know it seems as if the whole world is against you right now, but it’s not. Fourth grade wasn’t a great time for me, and you will remember it for a long time. I still remember those awful people and how they made me feel very bad about myself. Not to make you lose hope, but they aren’t really going to get better. But you are. Those people are still going to act like your friends, but they aren’t. Don’t rely on them for your happiness. They will make you feel like trash and like you are a weird person that no one likes, but you aren’t, and you will find that out soon enough.
Near the end of this year, you will receive some good news at dinner. It is good news. You won’t think it is, but trust me, it is. You are going to meet some amazing people. These are actually good people, unlike those who are your “friends” now. You will get mad at them sometimes and want to scream, but they are always there for you. Even when you are not very happy with them, there are more you can talk to. They will give you the respect you deserve and will help you be the best person you can be. You will laugh and cry together. You will rise and fall together. You will scream random songs at the top of your lungs together. These are real friends.
You will still have to deal with the Lexington people in the summer and on the weekends, but you can do it. They will still say some mean things to you, but it is okay. Keep your head held high. A very small number of those people will change and be your real friend, but the High Point people are still there for you. They are always a text away (you’ll get a phone eventually, by the way).
Right now, you need to take a second and breathe. You are an amazing, wonderful person that doesn’t need to worry about what other people think. You are not weird. You are not annoying. You don’t need to shut up. People do actually like you, and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. Any teacher who yells at your class doesn’t know what they are doing, and you don’t deserve to be punished like that. Keep reading your books, but by NO MEANS READ DIVERGENT AT YOUR AGE. I know the rest of your class is, but you are too young for that. Don’t bother Mom about reading it either. Your older self doesn’t want you to do that. It would be easier on us if you don’t.
Although things seem low right now, there are still good things. Enjoy having Coach Krissy. She is the best coach you have ever had. She will soon be moving, so enjoy having her while it lasts. You have a childlike innocence that you should enjoy. Be young, happy, and carefree. Right now, I am like that (but I still care about a lot of stuff and am serious about my schoolwork), and it is a lot more fun. Run around on the playground and feel the wind push your hair back and forth while you are on the swings. Enjoy the Percy Jackson and Harry Potter books because you are still obsessed with them when you are older. Some people in fourth grade tell you that’s bad, but it’s not. It makes you an imaginative person, and you will learn life lessons from it.
Overall, don’t let anyone tell you what you can and can’t do. You are amazing, and you need to bring your self-confidence up. If you talk to your family and ignore everyone at school, then sixth grade will be a lot better. You are about to have some wonderful people come your way. Enjoy learning. Enjoy reading. Enjoy being ten. Don’t worry. Be Happy. You are amazing. You are fun. You are a good person. It is going to be okay.
Sincerely,
Eighth Grade Me
Sidney Briggs is an overscheduled high school freshman from Lexington, North Carolina. In her free time (when she isn’t rowing), she enjoys eating chocolate, traveling, and petting her dog. Although she likes to write, more of her time is spent reading.
