A Love Letter to 14-Year-Old Leane

14-year-old Leane,
I know you're really lonely.
You thought you had friends, but then they forgot about you.
They left you behind.
And that really hurts.
It will keep hurting, for a very long time.
I'm sorry.
And the friends that you still have, you don't trust them anymore.
You don't trust that they really like you.
You wonder when they will leave too.

14-year-old Leane,
Don't stop trying to make friends.
There are people out there that will like you and appreciate you.
You will find them someday.
I promise.

14-year-old Leane,
I know you want to be an actor,
But you're scared, and self-conscious,
And you don't think you can do it.
And no one else thinks you can do it.
No one is pushing you to try, to fail, and to keep trying until you succeed.
When you fail, I think they're secretly glad, because they want to save you from it.
I wish I could be there
And tell you to try
Because trying doesn't get any easier as you get older
And dreams don't go away just because you give up on them.

14-year-old Leane,
You just wrote a script, and you're really excited about it.
But nobody else seems to be excited.
It's nothing special to them.
Your friends even made fun of it.
But don't stop being excited!
You are going to direct that play, and it is going to open up a whole new world to you—
A passion that will carry you right through your high school years and beyond,
That will create a community and build friendships,
And it will all be because of you.
It will show you the kind of impact that you can have
By just being yourself and doing what you love.

14-year-old Leane,
Things will get better.
And then they will get worse again, and then better again.
Because life is like that.
Don't let the pain stop you from living.
You are smart.
You are kind, and considerate, and gentle.
You are significant.

14-year-old Leane,
I remember you well.
You are still a part of me.
Deep inside, I am you—
A shy, insecure, lonely dreamer.

14-year-old Leane,
Keep dreaming.
I love you.