Funny that all the things I always needed to hear well are the exact things that I say so often to the most precious of my people. Having a much younger brother started my humbled and emboldened hope to encourage his heart. It was so easy to cultivate this as a practice with him, as my love for him is a great one that I often cannot find words for. Most of the truths that I so badly wanted to share with him were notes to my younger self, usually just a day younger honestly, but for Austin, I wanted him to know before it was hard to figure it out.

And because I practiced for years making sure that he knew what I had to say, it became easier and easier to realize that what I had to say mattered. Maybe not to everyone, but definitely to the ones I wanted to say it to.

I have had the great privilege of working very closely with a large number of young people. Young, a word I use pretty loosely as spanning anyone just born to anyone still alive, but mostly mine are between the ages of three and thirty.

I wrote a long letter to a crew of girls a few years ago who were about to finish high school, young women who are precious still, and I’m including some of that here, as it is a message for you too. And just in case we don’t know each other well or at all, I want you to have all the desires of your deepest heartspace, and I want you to have an easier time than my younger self. So let’s pretend that we do know each other, and let me just say, “I think you are wonderful, and I’m so glad you’re here.”

When you walk into this next moment, know that it is yours. Own it, and live a life that you absolutely love!

Stand up straight with your shoulders back. You are a fierce and magical moonbeam! Let them see you. The real you.

Advocate for your truest self. Don’t say yes just so that you don't have to say no. It might be hard trying that “No thank you” the first time, but it'll only last as long as it takes to say the words. Do it, take a deep breath, and then just walk away. Be good to yourself in where you spend your time. Your time is valuable, and so are you.

Drink plenty of water.
Wear your seatbelt.
Don’t text and drive.
Call your mom, or someone like that.
Then call your sister, or someone like that.

And don’t you worry a thing about what those other people think of you. The light you shine should not be dimmed. Be who you are. Do what you care about. Sing loud. Dance to make other people feel like it’s your floor! Remember always that art is good for us all. It is where sacred spaces are made. We have to find our own to live in our best calm.

Know that you are a gift to this world. You can’t do ANYTHING to be less loved. You are delighted in, and you were created PERFECTLY - sincerely, gently, meaningfully made, and when you got here all the heavens were dancing!

So when sunrise finds you on a mountain, know that you were brought there on purpose. And when the wind blows, feel that it is for you. And when the rain comes down in a mist to cool you, it is so that you will stop and let it wash your sweet soul. And if your favorite flower is placed in your path today, it is so that you feel seen. And you are - you are seen and held and loved. Pay attention for the gifts that are there just for you. There are many.

I think it’s pretty curious that even now, looking at this, it is hard to take all of these words in for myself. I am empowered by a love for other humans. It was easy to write this because it was for the girls, and easy to understand now, as it is for you. That title is finding me in dispute though. Being good at being nice to myself is a funny game. I am getting better at it.

I’m glad we’re friends now! Thanks for being here with me.

You really are magical, and beautiful, and loved, and outstanding. And what better way to just hammer that in than to just dance around in the sparkle of it. Let’s do that!