Whist I was going through some of my Grandpa's things the other day with my Mum and came across a book I gave him for Christmas a few years ago, you may have heard of it
It is filled with letters written by a lot of celebrities and people of note to their past selves, some giving advice, guidance and the occasional telling off.
They are fascinating to read and I was glad I re-discovered it.
One of my favourites is this one by Alan Carr.
I was telling H about it when we were on holiday and we thought it would be fun to write letters of our own, so here they are...
Sammy's letter
To Sam, (aged 16)
Knowing you like I do, if you knew where I was writing to you from you would tell me to go get a Tequila!
I want to tell you so much, mostly I want you to know that it is OK to be exactly who you are. You were right to make 'No fear no regrets' your mantra, it will serve you well... that being said I want to talk about boys!
The one your with, you can do better. The one you want to be with, get over him, trust me it's never going to happen and it's stopping you from being happy. On a side note - Alcohol- it's not going to run out so calm down.
Spend more time with Grandpa, you will miss him when he is gone, stop fighting with Mum, she is cooler than you think and Dad, dispute what you think ( you are so alike) he is proud of you -always.
Pay more attention in business studies - seriously.
I want to leave you with some certainties... you are so loved, you will be deliriously happy and you will deserve it.
All My Love
Sammy (aged 31)
H's letter
To Heather,
You will never guess where I am writing to you from... It's your very own 'Back to the Future' moment!
I wanted to tell you a few things that should help you get through the next few years.
1. Be yourself - you are pretty cool as you are and trying to be someone else just doesn't work for you.
2. Forget the people who don't give you their time or appreciate you - you will find more amazing friends than you ever thought you could.
3. Don't worry about that Art GCSE result, you really will get to a place where you can be creative everyday.
4. Try not to plan everything - sometimes going in the moment is ok.
5. Everything you do and Everything you are is a reflection from your amazing family and friends.
This all sounds very serious I know, but I think every year until now will teach you these things so it's always good to have a little hindsight.
Oh and one last thing, some people for some unknown reason just sometimes say stupid stuff - not worth your time thinking and overthinking it.
Love of love
Me, xxx
We definitely found it harder than we thought to write these, probably because it is quite a long time since we were 16! but it was a really fun exercise to do.
Have you read the book?
What would you tell your sixteen year old self?
Sammy and H xxx
