Dear Middle School Yalitza

Dear middle school me,

Don't worry about people and their opinion on you, all that matters is how you see yourself and the loving people around you.I know things might be tough and it's hard to find out who you are right now, but trust me things will get better. Once you realize people’s negative words don't mean anything and how to stay positive you will have a better outlook on your life. You will go through phases trying to figure out who you are and what you like. Like the phase where you made duct tape headbands, that was something! You were just figuring out what you liked and that's perfectly fine! Eventually you will find your own style, you will learn how it is better to be yourself rather than fit into someone else's standards. By not worrying about if people like your clothes or your hair it gives you freedom to dress and look how you want more openly. It took us a while to learn how to style our curls and that's okay!

You finally tried new protective hairstyles like box braids, sew ins, knotless braids and many more. It takes time to learn how to style and take care of natural hair, there is no rush. Even now there are times when we don't know what to do with our hair and that's okay. It takes time and work to learn how to appreciate black girl magic. Your curls are beautiful and even if you don't think they are. You are amazing, beautiful and talented. You are pure black girl magic.

Love, 
​Yalitza

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