Dear Younger Me ©Dawn Minott

Beforeword: Today, I reached back for my younger self. I needed to reassure her—we’ll be okay—so I wrote her this reminder in poetry.

Hey little one—
You’re only two, wide-eyed, standing at the door of the world,
Taking it all in, piece by piece,
Not knowing yet the weight of the questions
That will settle on your shoulders—
Where do I belong?
Who am I?
And whose am I?

Somedays, you’ll feel lost,
Caught between here and there,
Between this and that,
Betwixt and between—
Displaced in your emotions
Like a traveler with no map,
Like a song missing a beat.

But listen—
You will find yourself.
You will find your way.
You will find your voice.
You will find your strength.

Fast forward—
You’re on your way to university now.
And girl, this is where the spark ignites.
The fire in your belly will burn for justice,
For voices unheard, for lives unseen.
You’ll stand tall, speaking truth to power,
Championing the fight against violence,
Lifting up those who thought they had no wings.

It won’t be easy.
The challenges will be mountainous,
But you, my love, we were built to climb.
And when they call the top achievers at graduation—
Guess who’s standing tall?
Yeah, that’s you.
Top of your class.
Unstoppable.
Unbreakable.

You, my dear, you are a seeker,
A wanderer with purpose.
The world is calling, and you will answer.
Your dreams will take you across oceans,
Through cities humming with stories
And villages whispering wisdom.
And everywhere you go, you will leave footprints
Not just on soil,
But on hearts.

But before you go too far,
Listen up. I don’t want you to ever forget.
There are lessons I learned that you need to carry in your heart’s pocket:

One: Never, ever take your relationship with God for granted. He’s your anchor in the storm, your light when the night feels endless. Pray first. Move after.
Two: Trust your instincts. Take risks. Fall down, get up, laugh, repeat. Be gentle with yourself—you are stronger than you know. And baby girl, you’ve got bounce-back-ability.
Three: Forget fitting in—you were made to stand out. The tallest girl in the room, rocking four-inch heels like a queen. Own it, flaws and all.
Four: Live by what sets your soul on fire. Not by status quo, not by what they say you should be. Write. Speak. Empower. Be the force only you can be. Let no one put a price tag on your worth.
Five: Choose your tribe wisely. You won’t be the girl with a lot of friends. But the ones you have. They’ll be ride or die. Hold on to them. They’ll catch you when you fall, celebrate you when you rise.

And just as she was about to leave I wanted to be sure she heard me on this — so I pulled her into a tight hug and in her ears I whispered deep:

Life will challenge you.
Some days will feel like a storm,
But sunshine will always break through.
You will smile more than you cry,
You will gain more than you lose,
You will love,
And oh—
You will be loved.

Go,
Live loud, live bold,
With fire, with love, be brave.
And when you look back,
You’ll see—
Through it all,
You were always gonna be, okay.

With love,
Older Me