When I was 6
My mother tucked me in
My father sang me songs
And my sister read me picture books
When I was 6
I was taken care of

When I was 7
I dreamed of being a ballerina
I swirled around in the kitchen
And pretended to dance on a stage
When I was 7
I was fearless

When I was 8
I loved my best friends
I watched movies with my family
And I kissed my brother’s cheek on his birthday
When I was 8
I loved to love

When I was 9
I passed notes in class
I cracked jokes on the playground
And I wished to be a comedian
When I was 9
I laughed everyday

When I turned 10
I became a tomboy
And smudged mud on my face
I climbed the stairs like a monkey
And climbed the trees like Tarzan
When I turned 10
I didn’t care what others thought




When I turned 11
I told my sister my secrets
I talked to my mom and dad about my problems
And I listened to their advice
When I was 11
I trusted everyone

When I turned 12
I felt so old
I loved trying new clothes
And doing my own hair
When I turned 12
I was confident

The day I turned 13
I decided it was time to grow up
I straightened my hair
And wore tighter clothes
The day I turned 13
I changed

The day I turned 14
I didn’t care anymore
I was ready for high school
And I didn’t want to listen to my parents
The day I turned 14
I felt lost

The day I turned 15
I hoped for an iPhone
I hoped for a laptop
I hoped for my family to leave me alone
The day I turned 15
I wanted to be 16

Now it’s almost my 16th birthday
And this year
All I want is to feel confident
To trust
To be fearless
To feel taken care of
To not care what others think
To laugh everyday
To trust everyday

This year
I realize
That I should take some advice
From my 8-year-old self
And learn
To love again