To you

We need to look beyond the surface in order to see the things worth seeing!

To the boy who stands alone in the playground; you have a great sense of humour and make me laugh more than almost anyone I know. Please share this gift with your peers. One day you will be a phenomenal comedian and you will always be remembered for these fantastic comedic skills.

 

To the girl who accepts all the inappropriate behaviour thrust upon her by every boy in school; you are beautiful, yes, but you have so much more to offer the world than just your looks. You are a kind and caring soul and have the voice of an angel. Show the world your voice not your body. When your name is in lights I will remember these days.

 

To the girl who hates everyone and stands strong alone; you do not hate everyone, in fact you care too much. Not everyone will hurt or disappoint you. Yes, you are incredibly strong and do not need anyone else to protect and care for you, but sometimes kindness and protection from others can be good for the soul. Let down your walls, people love you, they are just waiting for you to let them in.

 

To the boy who absentmindedly doodles on everything he can get his hands on but denies or throws it away when it is discovered; your art is your gift. Other people’s opinions on it do not matter, whether they are positive or negative. Your creativity is what makes you, it allows you to express yourself when most often your voice fails you. I think your art is incredible and it tells me more about you than your words ever could. Keep drawing, keep expressing, because what I see is genuinely wonderful.

 

To the boy who fights against me at every opportunity; we both know that your fighting is futile, we both know that if you stop fighting it means accepting that you are worth someone else’s time, effort, and energy. What you do not yet know, but I have known for a long time, is that you are worth every single ounce of energy that is put into you and one day all that energy will come to fruition and you will flourish. You will be grateful that we saw the good in you and nourished it, but until then, keep fighting all you wish, at least it is building strength.

 

To the girl who has no friends because they find you bossy and annoying; right now it may seem that these traits are negative and you may feel that everyone hates you. Let me assure you that one day, with the right guidance, your “bossiness” will become phenomenal leadership skills and people will be grateful for your instruction and direction. Right now, people envy your confidence and are unsure how to receive your direction. Stay strong, stay confident, stay bossy!

 

To the boy who stutters when asked a question and seems to never have anything to say; your words are more valuable and important than most other peoples, because the words you do speak take considerably more effort than we could ever imagine. I appreciate every single word that comes out of your mouth because I respect the struggle you had in forming the thought and admire your strength for beating the stammer to release the words. Please always remember what you have in your mind is brilliant and the world needs to hear it, it would be a better place for it. It may take you significantly longer to say what you want to say, but ‘good things come to those who wait’ and the value of your thoughts greatly outweighs the wait. Take your time, breath and bless the world with your words… one … word … at … a … time!

 

To the boy who isn’t good at anything, but tries so very hard at everything; I admire your tremendous strength and unwavering perseverance more than I could ever express with words. Your determination is your greatest asset. One day you will find that thing that you are good at and you will be the greatest person to have ever attempted it. You will revolutionise your field and your persistence and determination will inspire future generations to ‘never give up’. Keep trying and keep fighting. You are fantastic and don’t ever let anyone tell you different, unfortunately there aren’t always awards for the “hardest trier” but oh how I wish there was, even if it was just to commend you for your efforts and to show you that your ability to endure adversity and keep plodding along is the greatest gift you could give to the world.

 

To every child, teenager, young adult that I have ever met; you are amazing. Whatever you do, whatever you say, it is you! It makes you, it is what makes you unique and wonderful. We all hit walls, we all have obstacles to overcome, we all have enemies to fight. If I could say only one thing to you it would be:

You are beautiful. You are talented. That thing you do, that thing you are good at �" no one can do it like you do! The world needs you, the world needs your fantastic abilities and your wonderful insight. Do not let the hardships of life knock you down. Look in the mirror and tell yourself you are amazing…. Because amazing is exactly what you are!