A Letter to My Seven-Year-Old Self
Dear Erica,
You can do it.
You’ve got this.
Those goals you’re thinking of? Those wonderful, larger-than-life dreams you imagine? You can and will grasp them.
Remember when you wrote your first story? A tiny, dancing light caught your eye, while playing outside your playhouse, and you imagined a fairy fluttering from colorful flower to flower, dancing atop dewy ivy, and twirling with sweet honeybees. That spark you felt? That joy? Grab onto that spark and never let it go.
You were brought into this world to be a writer. To bring more love and joy into people’s lives. Of course, you will get discouraged. Remember to be kind to yourself. You’re learning, growing, and will experience the occasional tumble or two, or three, but keep getting up. Keep showing up.
Remember when Yaya told you that you are capable of anything?
Darling, you can do anything you set your mind to.
Can you hear her?
She’ll always have a cozy corner of the couch ready for you (and of course your favorite snacks and popsicles too), and she’ll introduce you to books that will take you on adventures, open your eyes to wonder and joy, and even introduce you to faraway lands. She’ll always be one of your biggest fans.
My sister (left) and I (right) with our Yaya (Grandma) at her house—our home away from home. “Love you more,” she always whispered. “Love you more, Yaya.”
Get cozy and cuddle up with that book. Don’t hide it. That book will be your lifeline when you need it. And please, get a brighter flashlight for when Rachell turns off your bedroom light and you must finish that last chapter (our eyes will thank you later).
One day, you’ll be a published author. Can you believe it? Your name on your very first book. And there will be many, many more to come.
Oh, and remember all those times you scribbled your name around the house, behind curtains, and in impossible-to-find corners? Don’t worry. Mom will find them and laugh one day. You’ll tell her you’re practicing your signature for book signings. And you are.
You were given this gift for a reason.
Keep writing. Keep reading. Keep going.
Your future awaits.
Love,
Erica
Me in my favorite pink dress when I was seven-years-old.
*Special thanks to Camille Pagan—#1 Amazon Charts Bestselling Author, You Should Write a Book podcast host, and my Author Mastermind Coach for the wonderful inspiration.