If you could go back in time with a message for your younger self, what would you tell her? Though we don’t have a time machine here at Pride, with the power of imagination and the power of the pen, anything’s possible – so legal advisor and Pride reader Faye Audrey Anderson has written back to herself as a young girl on the verge of moving across an ocean to a new home. Now with two adult sons and a grandchild of her own, she assures her younger self that everything will be just fine – the best is yet to come.
Dear 10-year-old Faye Audrey Vassell,
I look at your face and I see excitement; expectation, mixed with sadness as you have just been told that your mother is leaving for England to join your father, who has been there for the last two years. Their plan is for you and your four brothers to join them in two years’ time. Your parents have always kept their promises to you and your siblings, but this is a really big thing. You have never lived away from your mother, and you know you will miss her enormously. You don’t want her to go, because you don’t want to leave Jamaica. You have won a scholarship that allows you to have free education. You have just won the national spelling bee, and you are special in your local community.
However, Faye Audrey, what I would like to tell you is that you are about to enter into the most exciting phase of your life. You will eventually go to England. You will experience the addition of more siblings to the family. This includes two more brothers and a sister, and later on, another sister is introduced to the family, from Papa’s side.
Your life in England will be very different from that in Jamaica. Firstly, at school, the children will seem to get away with a lot more than they possibly could do in Jamaica. They answer back to the teachers, which leaves you speechless. The lessons are shorter in England, and there seems to be a lot of free time. The pressure to do well seems less, and there is no corporal punishment if you misbehave in school. If you misbehave, you will be sent to the Headmistress’ office, and given detention – but that’s okay, because then you can catch up with your work. Wow!
Faye Audrey, you will do very well in school, and go on to study Law at University. While still quite young, you will choose to become a Christian. This is a defining moment in your life, and becomes the axis around which your life is built. You’ll also meet the most incredible man, handsome and intelligent, who you will marry, and with whom you will have two amazing sons. You will also have a grandson, and acquire a beautiful daughter-in-law. These people will add another dimension to your life and give you inspiration every day. Your siblings will have their own families – your brothers have their wives and children, and your sisters have husbands and children of their own too.
You will meet people and make friends from all over the world. You will visit many countries, read many books and experience technology the likes of which is almost beyond what you can imagine. There is so much to look forward to, so embrace it as it comes.
Faye Audrey, some final words of advice; remain excited about life. Seek knowledge. Keep an open mind and allow God and love to have prominence in your life. Also, the key to success is perseverance. The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step – so keep going.
Love, Faye Audrey Anderson.
Want to be our next ‘Letter To My Younger Self’ guest writer? Drop a line to emmanuella@pridemagazine.com to get involved
