A letter to my younger self on International Day of the Girl
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Friday, 11 October marks International Day of the Girl – a day dedicated to celebrating and amplifying the voices of girls around the world.
Observed annually, the global moment was declared by the United Nations to draw attention to the need to address the challenges girls face and to promote empowerment. Now in its 13th year, the day continues to highlight the importance of helping girls create a safe, educated, and healthy life – not only during the critical formative years but also as they mature into women.
This year, the theme of International Day of the Girl is ‘Girls’ Vision for the Future’, because, despite the barriers they face, findings from UNICEF analysis have found most adolescent girls are hopeful for the future.
To mark the occasion, our Online Editor Erin Cross wrote to her younger self to remind herself of the girl she was, the woman she’s become and the woman she could be.
To my younger self,
As I sit here and reflect on the past and the present, I can’t help but feel guilty.
There’s so much that I could tell you and so much I should, but I’ll start with a sad truth: there was a time in my life when I didn’t love you enough. In fact, I didn’t love you at all and because of that, I am an echo of the amazing, brave, and fun girl you were.
But that’s changing, and now as I look in the mirror each morning, I can’t help but think of you and the love you deserve. The love that I – the grown-up version of you – deserve.
I still remember the joy you felt, I still have the memories of playing and giggling and being silly. It’s a palpable feeling, like butterflies in my stomach, but also one that’s only been altered by a devastating truth: everyone must grow up.
And while you were always a self-proclaimed Lost Girl – with very detailed plans to run away to Neverland – it happened to you. Slowly at first, and then all at once. And then one day you looked in the mirror and you were 25 and childhood was a dream.
But here’s a secret I’m re-learning – growing up doesn’t mean you have to stop playing. Youth is more than an age, it’s a feeling. It’s laughing until you cry with your friend in a hotel room dressed in robes and sunglasses, it’s rewatching your favourite movies and it’s attending the book fair with your mum – not because you need more books but for the feeling of nostalgia.
It’s knowing that every multitude of yourself – from the silly to the serious – deserves time to be honoured and explored.
On International Day of the Girl, you might be wondering why I’m looking back at our past when the theme for this year is ‘vision for the future’. But it’s because when I look back, I actually feel more hopeful about what’s to come. I’m hopeful that past and present can collide, and we can find the future in each other.
While you’ve had to face your fair share of barriers in your life – and will have to face many more – I want to remind you as adulthood approaches, you are also incredibly lucky.
You come from a loving home, your family protects and empowers you, you’re educated, you’ll find a partner who listens and respects your needs, and you’ll end up in your dream job. Other girls aren’t so blessed, and sometimes, you need to be reminded of that.
It doesn’t mean your struggles aren’t valid – but it does mean that you have always had people on your side who will support you as you advocate for yourself. You’ll stumble, you’ll fall, and you’ll have to pick yourself up time and time again. But when you need it, someone will always be there to hug you.
The truth of growing up is every experience will shape who you are, but you get to choose the final shape. While I know the idea of becoming an adult terrifies you, I want to leave you with some advice: when it comes to how you want to live your life, you have the power. And that’s pretty cool.
But because I know it will take you years to believe in yourself (in fact, it’s something we’re still working on now), I have some final words of wisdom I should have told you long ago – you are enough, you are worthy and you can do anything you can put your mind to.
It’s okay to doubt yourself (and you will). It’s okay to not have all the answers and it’s okay to have no idea what you’re doing. We still don’t. But we get to live a life we choose, which is a privilege not many girls have.
And while I can’t guide you through what’s coming, I can let you know that I’ll be waiting on the other side. I hope I make you proud. Because I’m proud of you.
I’m sorry it took me so long.
