Dear Gracie Bug

Written by: Gracie Mayer, Facebook Manager and Contributing Writer of Unpolished Journey

Dear Gracie Bug,

Did you know that you’re good enough? Did you know that you’re good?  Do you know that it wasn’t your fault? Do you know that life is full of bad things that happen to good people?  But

know that bad things happen to good people because good people have the power to change the world.  Good people take their struggles and use their experiences to connect and empower others through empathy and vulnerability.  Also know that everyone has goodness.  Every person that will hurt you is only doing the best that they can with what they have at the time.  

Do you know how much your parents and family love you? Do you know the lengths your loved ones will go to in the
name of love, for the sake of protecting you because you have a spirit worth protecting, because everyone’s spirit is inherently worthy of protection?  

Do not doubt your worth.  Do not doubt your strength.  Do not doubt your bravery.  Do not doubt your resilience–they will save your life.  You do not have to earn approval.  You do not need to earn love.  True love is given unconditionally and freely.  LIfe is not a performance and your worth is not dependent on the applause.  Life is an adventure and your fulfillment is dependent on being 100% true to yourself and all of the beautiful qualities that make you unique.  Everyone is unique and learning about everyone’s unique qualities and experiences is what makes life so rich.  

Tell your family you love them more.  Be present in every moment with your friends.  Don’t worry about missing out–when you miss out on something it is because the universe has something better, something different, something you need.  

Life doesn’t always turn out the way you plan.  Don’t make plans.  Just Dream.  Dream and don’t be reasonable, be outlandish.  Don’t dream safe, dream brave.  Don’t have faith conservatively, hold hope radically.

Embrace the road less traveled.  Be grateful for your hardships and your struggles–they will lead you to people and places who will change your heart and forever be in your soul.  Take your time.  There is no deadline to reach certain goals in life even though society will try to tell you that there is a finite amount of time to reach your goals.

You will fall in love, but don’t rush it.  Magic will strike you when you least expect it so be content with each stage that you are in.  Be grateful for the love you will experience everyday, but do not possess it.  Love with an open palm, send out affection without boundaries.

Your smile lights up a room but you do not always have to smile.  It’s ok to not be ok, and it’s ok to be sad.  You can show your emotions, and your friends won’t leave, in fact they will love you more for sharing your humanity.

Stay messy, a clean room is not the sign of a life well lived.  Keep singing and dancing–your
expression will make life more joyful.  Stay joyful.  Keep your joy for life.  You are the joy of life.