Dear Chantelle,

Right now your life seems pretty unbearable. I know that you feel like things will stay this way forever. I know how hard it is to get up in the morning and go to school sometimes. I know that you are disappointed that Mom and Dad have stopped coming to check on you at night because you've cried yourself to sleep so many times that now it's become commonplace. Right now, you don't think anyone loves you. You feel uncomfortable wherever you go. You have no idea what your life will be like in highschool, or even next year, and that scares you.

I have news. You survive this year. It is so, so hard, but you do. You may think that this year will ruin your life, but actually, it blesses it. You will learn and grow in so many ways. This year will suck, but it gives you something pretty awesome in return- empathy and compassion. In time, you'll be able to use what's happening to you right now to help other people.

There's something else I should tell you. You know how sometimes you sit in your room alone, and you imagine that your life is like those movies where the main character has lots of friends and they hang out and borrow clothes and have parties all the time? It will take a lot of waiting, but you are going to have that. You will get hurt too, but you'll make friends that will stay with you for a long time. You are going to meet some of the most incredible people in the next few years. I promise. And, you're going to learn that people love you. You're going to learn that not everyone is like the kids you go to school with now. You will learn to trust again. You're going to become a person that people like to be around, although it will take awhile for you to believe that.

Everything works out in the end. Believe me. Hang in there!
Love, Chantelle

P.S. You should probs learn to sew. It might come in handy with avoiding a certain pajama pants disaster in your ninth grade Home Ec class.