things I've learned being sixteen and things I still need to remember

(a by no means comprehensive list)

i. You will find yourself, on occasion, in places you never could have imagined. You may be uncomfortable at first, but go with it. This is what makes life interesting.

ii. Know the power of being sincere, but never take yourself too seriously (as with all things: balance).

iii. Hair grows out. Scars fade. The common denominator is time.

iv. Try not to shy away from what you really want.

v. It doesn't have to be pretty and it doesn't have to be original. It just has to be true. It just has to be what you feel. That's all.

vi. Let yourself grow roots. It will make you finally happy to call this place home.

vii. People can't ever belong to other people. You can't ever control someone else and it is sometimes the most infuriating thing in the world. But you can't get upset at someone for not behaving in the way you expected or the way you wanted. It's just not fair, not to anyone.

viii. No one wants your pity; only your love.

ix. "I get what I want 'cause I ask for it, not because I'm really that deserving of it."

x. Everything around you is changing so quickly. Savor it--everything--while you can. But let it go when the time comes.

xi. There aren't really any bad moods that going outside & doing something can't make better.

xii. Look closer; it happened for a reason. You were supposed to be there. Something good comes out of everything.

xiii. The key to confidence: Fake it 'til you make it. But actually.

xiv. Take everything in stride. This is your becoming.

xv. It hurts to become.

xvi. But in the end, you can't really bring yourself to regret any of it.

adios, sixteen.

tomorrow, I am seventeen.