I found myself staring into those eyes, my eyes 5 years ago, wanting to somehow speak to her.
Dear me/you,
"You have no idea what's ahead. There is pain. There is so much loss. There is head spinning transition. And so. much. pain.
And there are opportunities you never dreamed of. Adventures on multiple continents. Some of the dearest friendships. Second chances. Redemption stories.
You will get back on stage. You will. And you'll be scared to death. And you'll love it.
And someone will tell you that you should never weigh yourself again. You are a stress eater. And you hate exercise. This is bad advice. You will be curvier and softer in 5 years. Accept that as soon as possible.
And you'll cut off all your hair. Woah. Yup, even though you hated it when anyone else did it. And you will love it. Trust me.
You will love your job, hate your job, change your job, like your job, hate hate hate your job, and love it all over again.
You will be loved. Don't forget that. Even when you don't feel it. It will always be there. Just don't forget to love others and keep seeking God. There will be many valleys and it's a climb up to the mountain, but the view is always worth it.
There's more, but I can't remember it. Yup, your memory isn't going to get any better in 5 years. Sorry!
Dance, sing, create, and cherish people, because you never know how long they will be with you.
Oh - one last thing, you'll go by Abigail so much that in 5 years, it will feel strange when people call you "Abby." And it actually won't feel as pretentious as you fear."
love always,
The 28-year old version of you/me
