I can’t believe that here I am with a mouth full of braces…
I am going to be honest with you as much as these braces are hurting me I know it would be worth it
and I have to admit that I love to visit Simister Orthodontics.
What?
Honestly I do… For me it’s a time out!
Every time I visit their office I am surrounded by great people, awesome magazines and free chapsticks.
My favorite flavor is bubble gum.
I am telling you Simister Orthodontics is a woman paradise!
When they called me in yesterday I thought
“Darn it… give me a few more minutes… I am hanging out here with Doctor OZ.”
Yesterday however it was my turn to sit down in the chair and have my teeth to be the subject of a makeover.
Now here is a makeover expert for you: Doctor Simister.
{ If you ever get your braces here make sure you check out his shirts they are perfectly iron!
I hate ironing!
Check out also the cute little wood animals on the walls… adorable! }
Anyways, while sitting there letting Doctor Simister work on my teeth, a thought crossed my mind.
Right by my side there was another patient, a young sweet girl perhaps thirteen or fourteen.
Looking at her I thought of all the things I wish someone had told me when I was her age.
So before I knew I heard me saying in my head something like this…
Dear 16 year old me remember to smile BIG {sigh}
because 20 years from now your teeth are going to be a mess and you are going to look like this…
{ Now that is a BIG mouth! Why the heck are my eyes blue in this picture?}
After that first thought many others came so I decided to write a letter to… Dear 16 Year Old Me.
Here it is:
Dear 16 Year Old Me,
Make sure you go to your English classes during high school.
I know you have not gone for over two months and you think you are so cool.
Let me tell you… what you are is an idiot because 20 years from now you are going to live in the United States.
Don’t tell me “shut up” because I will tell you “shut the front door”
Do you even know what that means smarty pants?
Exactly!
Talking about pants…
Dear 16 year old me make sure you hold on those skinny colored jeans that you are wearing.
A few years from now you are going to think they are ugly and then 20 years from now you are going to be wearing a yellow pair.
No way?
Yes way! I have a picture to prove it to you…
This picture also proves that you are not going to grow any taller so you can tell our mother to stop giving you those disgusting iron vitamins.
THEY DON’T WORK!
You are going to be 5′ for the rest of your life!
…yes I am sure!
Dear 16 year old me make sure you say thank you to your Literature Teacher Nazario for inspiring you to write.
I know you think he is awesome… but why have you never told him that?
Follow his advice and keep writing because one day you are going to be able to share your thoughts with thousands of friends.
Do you know you are going to have a blog?
What is a blog?
Shoot! Hmmm… something super cool!
As I say you are going to regret not thanking him.
Dear 16 year old me…
Make sure you say I love you often to those around you.
It is not embarrassing… it is noble.
{free printable via sissyprint.blogspot.mx }
I tell you this because 20 years from now you are going to realize that some of the people you love the most left this world without you having chance to say good bye.
Sad I know… Would you hug them a little tighter and a little longer?
Dear 16 year old me, please take a picture of your small belly…
I now you think you are fat but trust me honey you are NOT.
Use the picture 20 years later to remember where and how your belly button used to look.
Just trust me!
Dear 16 year old me please tell your mom thank you for giving you the freedom to do whatever you like with your room.
I know she makes you crazy sometimes but one day you are going to make your kids crazy.
Yes! Your Kids! You will have four little monkeys!
Yes they think you are nuts… and you kind of are.
Anyways, one day that freedom will give you the ability to paint bigger walls and make your own house your home.
Mama rocks!
Dear 16 year old me please remember the small things around you.
{ via hankandhunt.com }
…Touch the ocean, walk in the sand, listen to the waves, smell the breeze because 20 years from now
the memories of your island will be the main source of inspiration for you.
Dear 16 year old me you are not going to marry anyone from your high school.
Can you please stop wasting your time and tears now?
Thank YOU!
Dear 16 year old me I know you think you know everything but let me tell you that you don’t.
I know you think you are not that pretty but let me tell you that you are beYOUtiful.
{ free printable here }
I know you feel lonely sometimes but let me tell you that you are not.
Dear 16 years old me…
You are stronger that you think.
You are a daughter of God.
You are a dreamer.
You are a believer…
and YOU ARE GOING TO HAVE BRACES at age 36!
How cool is that!
Thank you Doctor Simister and Trichele for my new smile!
~
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Happy Thursday My Friends!
Desirée
This made me cry and I don’t even know why…
Let’s cry together then because I was a mess while writing it.
…♥
Absolutely love your blog! This post was especially wonderful. Sooooo many things I would like to say to my teenage self…….they can be such tough years.
Also, congrats on your braces. I have been wanting to get braces for a long time. I’ve been saving my pennies (well…maybe more like dollars!) and am hoping to get them next year. I will be 51 years old by then, but I figure it’s never to late to make yourself feel good!
Kimberly,
You are right girl… Thank you for visiting with me…♥
First of all, I wish I could have read this at 16 but I wouldn’t have believed it. I have told many of these things to my 21 year old daughter over the years. I too am 5 foot and I never got braces as a youth because my parents couldn’t afford it but I always dreamed of straight pretty teeth. So at 42, I gave myself a gift…braces! That’s right I got braces when my daughter and son got braces. I am so glad I did. I got them off at age 45 and now am almost 53. I even made them make me the clear retainers for the bottom teeth and wear my two retainers every other night since my teeth continue to move and this keeps them straight and pretty, plus I can use dental whitener easy with them. Wish I could say the same for my grown children, son 31 and daughter 21 both have thrown their retainers away and now their teeth have shifted and they could care less. Too sad because it was a lot of money spent.
What a great post! A great reminder of what experience has taught all of us! Thanks for sharing!!
It’s great to see someone willing to share pictures of themselves in braces. I just had my braces off 2 months ago and the pain is totally worth it. When they come off, you will smile big and you will love it. The only thing is that you’ll smile so big your cheeks will hurt!
What a great post! Funny, but also touching! Tanks for sharing more about YOU!
xo Becca
What a fun, beautiful post! I love the printable too – thank you!
You crack me up with that in “the chair” pic. Good for you!
I have a few friends with braces and we love to refer to them by their proper term: “Adult Orthodontia”. It’s more fun that way. 🙂
If I had a sister she would have to be like you! I laughed til I cried, especially about taking the picture of our belly…soooo true!!! I loved your post…it was like talking to my best friend…Thanks for sharing.
I always love your posts, Desiree, but the last couple have been too much! Your pics from SNAP were so fun. Can’t wait to hear more about the conference. As for this post… well, I am in the same boat as you. I got braces in September at the age of 39 because my jaw started to lock up and I had to. That I will have straight teeth after will just be icing on the cake. So my 12 year son and I are going to the dentist together every month. His teeth move soooo much faster than mine, darn it! Painful, yes. And they’ve been a kind of kick-butt weight loss program for me (which sucks big time, cause I love food). I also teach high school English so talking with a speech impediment has been a challenge! But I’m glad I’m doing it. We’ll have to compare when we’re done!
Good for you Catherine!
I think we all deserve a big beautiful smile…
How much longer do you need to have yours?