10 Years Later || The Girl I Was, The Woman I’m Becoming (LOH #222)

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12-year-old me: “I want to help people when I grow up, so I’ll be a nurse.”
22-year-old me: “I’m a chemistry graduate, and while I don’t yet know where this path will take me, I know one thing for sure: I’ll be a philanthropist someday. Even though my career doesn’t directly involve helping people, I still reach out to orphanages every birthday to share love and gifts with little kids. It’s my way of staying true to that part of my heart.”

12-year-old me: “My mission in life is to be a role model to women all over the world, especially little girls.”
22-year-old me: “Well… lol, we’re not quite there yet, but we’ve become a femininity enthusiast, educating women on beauty, fashion, self-love, confidence, sexual health, and even financial matters. We’re still figuring things out, but we’re finding the puzzle pieces, one step at a time. Someday, it’ll form a clear, beautiful picture.”

12-year-old me: “Are we still insecure about our teeth, smile, and stature?”
22-year-old me: “Darling, who knew the key to a perfect smile was smiling more often? We smile so much now—genuinely, too! It’s radiant, even with the overbite. Funny thing? It was all in our head. Nobody notices, and even if they do, It’s just the imperfectly perfect detail that makes our smile unique. We actually get complimented on our smile all the time now! As for stature? Yeah, we’re still underweight, lmao. But the way we dress now? If we earned a penny for every compliment, we’d be billionaires. Dressing for our body type and embracing our fashion aesthetic has been a game-changer. We even encourage other women to gain confidence in their unique beauty. This part of our life has transformed completely, babe.”

12-year-old me: “Are we still winning awards and making Mum and Dad proud?”
22-year-old me: “We’re stepping into a strange new phase of life, so no awards or competitions right now, lol. But guess what? Mum and Dad are incredibly proud of us. They say it and show it every day. They’re especially grateful we graduated with amazing grades.”

12-year-old me: “Are we still optimistic about life?”
22-year-old me: “Life has thrown us some curveballs, dear, but thankfully, we’ve built a strong support system. Mum and Demi, our sister, are our rocks. They’re always there to catch us when we stumble. So yes, we’re still very much optimistic about life. We’ve got to succeed, not just for us, but to show our parents how much we love and appreciate them.”

12-year-old me: “It was nice chatting with you! I’m proud of you. Talk to you in another decade?”
22-year-old me: “Yes, honey, lol. Take your time, though—I wanna be forever young.”
12-year-old me: “Ha-ha, funny. Bye, love.”
22-year-old me: “Bye, love.”

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When I saw this week's prompt , I couldn’t help but think about myself as a little girl. If she saw me now and we had a conversation, would she be proud?

Even before I understood the word, I’d always said, “I want to be a role model to female teenagers.” Somehow, every experience I’ve gone through seems to fit into the story I’ll someday tell these girls—to be a light on their path, a guide as they navigate the journey from girlhood to womanhood.

Maybe this desire comes from wishing I’d had an older sister to give me the layout of life, but like I mentioned earlier, right before I even knew the meaning of the word, longer than I remember, I’d always said I wanted to be a role model. My mum used to tease that I was one of those kids who came into the world already knowing what they wanted to be. Maybe she’s right. Maybe she’s wrong. All I know is that every twist and turn in my story points toward this purpose.

Ironically, I didn’t have a role model growing up. I didn’t even believe in having one because I thought, “No one’s perfect, so why should I follow someone’s path?” Ironic, right? I was so fixated on being a role model but didn’t truly grasp the meaning.

Life has taught me that role models aren’t blueprints. You’re not supposed to copy their lives. They’re there to make the mistakes so you don’t have to. They’re doing all the trials and errors so you’ll have more personal trials than errors.

So, what inspires me now? Knowing that I have a huge responsibility. My destiny is likely tied to the destinies of countless little girls. I’m driven—not out of pressure, but from a deep sense of purpose. Nothing would bring me more joy than helping these girls embrace self-love and self-esteem as they journey through life.

Right now, my inspiration and role model is my future self—the woman I see standing on a podium, inspiring millions of girls, ladies, and women around the world. I can only hope I build the strength and character it takes to become her someday.

Thank you for reading! :)

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