Dear Friend,
These are crazy, crazy times, especially for you.
With no end in sight yet, I’m not going to sugarcoat this for you. You were robbed of opportunities, experiences, and even habits, and routine. Some of us have lost so much more: work, stability, sanity, even family. And no one really saw this coming — not to this degree. You couldn’t have prepared yourself for this. And to whatever goal or promise you failed to meet because of the current circumstances, know that it’s not your fault.
To the youth of today, I know there’s immense pressure to be someone. Or to have succeeded at a certain age. Because social media is extremely accessible, it’s easy to highlight all of the ups, none of the downs. I know you can’t help but compare yourself to others. If you’re feeling helpless right now, your frustration is valid.
I know this was supposed to be your time.
You were supposed to enjoy all that life had to offer – go clubbing, drink to your heart’s content, fall in love, make mistakes you’ll regret but learn hard and important lessons from. I know you were supposed to take the first steps to build your vision. You were supposed to start that job or explore the world. It’s okay to grieve lost time and feel down. It’s okay to take your time to process all those plans and goals that seemed to just fade with the wind. Allow yourself to feel this grief, even if it doesn’t make sense, even if you feel like you haven’t earned it because someone else is struggling so much worse — do not compare your struggles.
I don’t know when this would end, I don’t know when this would get better. But it will. Don’t lose sight of the hope that when it does, you’ll have the chance to start off from where you ended, or have found a different path that better aligns with who you are, who you want to be, and where you want to go. This is your time to take a pause and reassess. Take as long as you need to process, the important thing is that you do it.
Don’t forget to support each other.
To the youth, remember that you’re not alone in this experience and this is really when we need to be there for each other. Keep your friends close, your family closer. Appreciate that time that you have them and hold them closer while they’re still around. And more importantly, don’t forget to be there for you. You are strong and brave to have gone through this and still be here. I’m so proud of you. You should be too.
