Hello, 16-year old Me.

16 year old Donna woke up because she thought she heard someone downstairs. She got up to check and found somebody in the kitchen. At first, she thought it was her mom standing in front of the open refrigerator door, staring at its contents.

"Who are you?", Donna asked the stranger.

The stranger closed the door, stood aside and said, "It's 3AM, I'm restless and couldn't sleep. Sorry to wake you from your slumber. You may be wondering who I am and why I'm here. Come closer and take a good look at my face." Donna leaned forward and her jaw dropped at what she saw.

"Surprised? Yes, it's me -- your older self. Sit down, we have a lot to talk about."

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No, I'm not an apparition. I am still alive, thank goodness for that. I'm here because of some sorcery by the wizard named @cadawg. I'm not sure how he did it but he was able to send me here while I was on my quest for sleep.

I'm supposed to tell you things you need to know. Take this house for example... This will not be your home forever, times will get tough and your family will have to let go of it. Oh, I loved this place. I can still remember its nooks and crannies, the fond memories, the holidays... I miss everything about this place. Spend as many quality time with your family here. Take lots of photos and keep them somewhere safe and protected from the elements. One day, this house will get infested with termites and they will ruin your precious photographs. It would have been nice to still have those photos to show your daughter someday. Christmases spent here were the happiest.

Family. I just want to emphasize that they should be the most important people in your life. Yes, you have your friends but your family should always come first. Talk to them more often, let them know you love them, be patient with them, and always be there for them. You may think your parents don't give a shit about you right now because they tend to say no to your wants, but looking back at the past I've realized that they only did what's best for me at that time. Your parents love you so much and they've sacrificed a lot of things for you and your siblings. Make them feel special, respect and obey them at all costs. Always communicate with your siblings, don't create barriers, help each other and cheer each other on. When you all are grown-ups, you should be able to count on each other, you all should be each other's best friends.

Don't worry so much about your looks. Do not feel insecure. You don't have to take slimming pills or any of those crap. You're already beautiful as you are.

No boyfriend yet? Do not fret my dear. You will meet plenty of boys in your lifetime. Some of them will break your heart, that's fine -- that's part of the beauty of life. Trust me, you'll meet and find the right guy in the end. I actually wouldn't want it any other way. Just be yourself, boys will love you for who you are. Most of them love your attitude towards life, your cheerfulness and how you don't give up on people. Love passionately but do not forget to always save some love for yourself.

Keep friends who are always there for you in good and bad times. As you grow older, you will realize that not everyone who parties with you can stand by your side when the going gets tough. Real friends will celebrate your triumphs, they'll pick you up when you're down, they'll always support you and cheer you on.

Write more often. Keep a journal if you can. You'd like to remember happy moments with special people but your memory oftentimes fail you so it's a good idea to keep a record of anything you wouldn't want to forget.

Know how to prioritize. Study well. You'd do good in college but I know with hard work you can do better. Do not settle and don't be afraid to leave your comfort zone. Invest. Work hard. Travel often. These sounds so cliche but you'll get it when you're older.

If there is one piece of important advice I could give, always take good care of your health. Make healthy choices. Exercise. Easy on the NSAIDs. Pick whole foods and try to steer clear of processed ones. If you can, avoid smoking and drinking. It won't do you any good. If something doesn't feel right, see a doctor. One day you'll find out that your health is deteriorating and you wouldn't want that because you have a family of your own, you want to be there and witness your daughter's milestones but you can't do anything about it but pray that you'd still have more time to make more memories with her...

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The 35-year old Donna wiped her tears and smiled. "Whoa, I think I've said too much! I think that's it for me. Go back upstairs and pretend this was all just a dream but please make a mental note of what I said", she reminded her younger self. The 16-year old Donna just sat there in disbelief.

The older Donna yawned, looked up and shouted, "Hey wizard, time to take me back now!"

Just like that, she disappeared in to thin air.

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HAH! Here's my entry for @cadawg's first contest: Talking to your 16 year old self.

I initially thought of writing a letter but I guess it'd really be great actually meeting the 16-year old me face to face! I basically just wanted to tell my younger self not to worry so much about the future, didn't really want to tell her she'll get kidney disease and be on lifetime dialysis as I know that will scare her. I was really craaaaazy in my younger years, a little reminder could go a long way -- especially coming from your 35-year old self.

BTW, the photo above -- that's me 19 years ago! 😊