Your life will shatter like china on the floor. If you break free, don’t go back for more. Listen to your friends. They see with their eyes, not their hearts. Your heart can’t be trusted. I know because I’ve watched you stumble and fall. I’ve seen the bruises and the tears. Run when you get the chance. The next time- run a little bit faster, a little bit sooner.

Ignore the ones who don’t believe in you. Believe you can do anything you set your mind on. You are stronger than you know. You are smarter than you think. Stubborn is not a fault. Time and time again you’ve proven nothing will stop you if you’d only trust yourself. People have their own reasons for putting you down. It has nothing to do with you. It’s all about their own pain. Believe that. I’ve seen all you have done with the little you’ve been given.

Know that your decision was the right one, even if no one tells you so. Know that your choices were good and your heart was pure. Someday you will see. Now you just feel empty, hurt and confused. I know because I was there with you through it all and I counted your tears and felt your scars. Trust me, though, when I tell you that someday you will be rewarded with joy. Be patient with yourself. Don’t give up too soon. Your answered prayer is right around the corner. I promise.

Stop thinking you deserve all the bad things in this world. You deserve happiness. You deserve love. You deserve better than what you’re taking from life. It’s coming. Don’t think your life is always going to hurt. Put away the razor blades and stop self-destructing with bad men, liars, cheaters and abusers. When life offers you choices, think twice and stop settling. Whatever you’ve done that makes you believe you’re worthless- it’s a lie. You don’t have to take the leftovers and the crumbs. God is preparing a table for you and it’s a feast. You just have to hang in there a few more years.

Someday you won’t be running away from life. A day is coming when you won’t be speeding past happy homes with toys in the yard on your way to another lonely week. Someday the life you are missing will find you. Someday there will be love. So much that you would never believe it if I described it to you right now. You will have children who will leave their toys in the yard and you’ll cry because it’s everything you’ve ever wanted. You’ll be happy. You will be happy. Don’t quit.

Someday you will put away your suitcases. Someday you will hang up your dancing shoes and find a place to call home. Someday you will be surrounded by a family and love and happiness. The fog clouds your eyes now- but when the sun finally shines on your life you won’t believe how warm it feels.

Listen to me. I come from the future to warn you of your present. I can’t change it for you. It will happen the way it was written. All I can do is tell you the pain won’t last forever. Keep trying. When you fall down, get back up. What you endure now will make you wiser, kinder and gentler with those in your future who are suffering what you’ve gone through. It’s not for nothing that we hurt.