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Issue #2: A Seat Across Our Younger Selves

I came across a trend on Instagram where poets were sharing poems about meeting their past selves. This was inspired by a poem written by Jennae Cecelia in her poetry book, Deep In My Feels, which is available for pre-order.

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It made me pause.

I thought about my past self: the version of me who had no idea where life would take her. The girl who worried too much. Who second-guessed everything. Who carried doubts that felt heavier than they were.

If I could sit across from her, what would I say?

That the things she worries about now won’t matter in a few years? That some of her fears will come true, but she’ll survive them? That life won’t always be kind, but she’ll learn to be kinder to herself? I don’t know if she would believe me.

Maybe she wouldn’t need words. Just a moment to be seen. Maybe a reminder that she makes it through.

If you could meet your past self, what would you want them to hear? Would you tell them to be gentler with themselves? Would you warn them about the heartbreak ahead?

Would you tell them to cherish certain moments before they slip away? Or maybe you wouldn’t say anything at all. Maybe you’d just sit with them, and let them feel everything they need to feel.

Because sometimes, reassurance could be about being there, not giving answers.

There are parts of us still holding onto things we’ve outgrown. Memories that still sting. Words we wish we could take back.

But healing doesn’t mean rewriting the past. It’s involves making peace with it. The past version of you didn’t have the knowledge you do now. Forgive them for what they didn’t know. The things you regret? They shaped the person you are today. The pain that still lingers? It doesn’t have to define you.

We don’t always get closure. We don’t always get to fix what went wrong. But we can choose to move forward with grace.

And maybe that’s enough.