A letter from Sep 23, 2022

Dear Laila, Hi! It's you, but when you were eleven. I'll tell you a bit about myself, because... I don't think you'll remember me. I think I'm aromantic, because I've never had a crush. My bestie is Iris but my other friends are Giulia, Lily, Rinko... basically everyone in my class. But you might not remember us, actually, so I'll list them for you. There's Giulia (nickname:Margaret), Lili (nickname:Amanda), Rinko, Elias, Jan (Yan not Jan), Clarence, Henry, Ryan, Adam, and Charlie. It's going to be my batmitzvah soon and I'm really nervous. I like folk music and I play the flute. I love puns. Laila- me- I want you to not hide parts of yourself. I want you to focus on your hobbies, I want you to have a great time in Year 9. I hope you are happy. You'll be almost thirteen, so you'll be a full on teenager soon. I hope you're good at drawing, good at writing, an academic star. I hope you still see the bright side. I hope you're alive. I hope climate change hasn't overtaken the world, I hope politics has sorted out, I hope you're safe. I love you, I really do. Laila. P.S. I really do love you.