Letter to My High School Self (Be Kind)

JJ Heller's “Letter to My High School Self (Be Kind)” is written in the form of a letter from an adult to a teenager. She says she has walked in those shoes, and hopes the reader will find it when they are feeling confused. The hardest part of high school, she writes, is the space between the person you are becoming and the kid you used to be.

The refrain reduces the advice to a few short lines: be kind, be strong, believe, you belong, love God, work hard, just be who you are. The verses add that fame is not what it appears, because everyone who loves you already knows your name, and that when you have a house someday there will be no trophies on display. She suggests letting go of the last times, celebrating the first times and keeping the heart open. The bridge turns inward, asking the reader to forgive themselves and to ask for help when needed. The acoustic folk arrangement is warm and unhurried, with the sound of a friend talking across a table. It fits a youth group lesson, a graduation card or a parent who wants to share something with a teenager without lecturing. Placing love for God in the middle of a list of everyday advice gives the song a quiet faith center.

Setting an example despite youth is 1 Timothy 4:12. Kindness and forgiveness are Ephesians 4:32, and being fearfully and wonderfully made is Psalm 139:14.