This is me almost exactly ten years ago on 18 January 2016. I no longer have that coat, but I still have the hat and scarf (which I made) and earrings (which a friend made). I probably have those glasses around here somewhere as a spare pair, though the prescription is old. Now I think my face is rounder. You can’t see my locs under my hat, but they are long gone too in favor of my loose ‘fro.
That was before I lost both of my parents. Before the pandemic. Before some other major losses. I have a feeling 2016 me would have been horrified to know what was coming over the next decade of her life. She also would have been in awe of 2026 me for surviving it all and continuing to be a loving, kind, empathetic person in spite of it all. For continuing to learn and grow. For remaining open to seeing life’s beauty. For holding on to her playfulness. She probably would have said, “I want to be like you when I grow up.”
You are, my dear. You are. And I, in turn, would not be who I am if it wasn’t for you.