hi little sister anon🥹 sorry this took so long, i’ve been thinking about what to say to you bc my 16 year old self felt the exact same way you did at times and what kept me going was hearing some sort of reassurance from the people i admired(?). first of all the awkward hijabi phase is a rite of passage i believe and the fact that it’s being skipped over these days irks me bc i was 16 with braces, hideous glasses and hijab pulled right up to my eyebrows💔

so to answer your first question i wasn’t exactly pretty, but i remember that the feeling of being ugly would never last bc the people around me would remind me that that sort of stuff just doesn’t matter! when you’re 16 what matters is making friends you’ll check up on years later or passing exams that seem impossible (they’re not). what matters is spending time with your family before life ultimately separates you and learning about your purpose in this life is and how to ensure your welfare in the next (may Allah ﷻ guide and protect you🤍). what matters is that one day you’ll be able to look back at 16 and not see your awkwardness (and it was very much there for me) but see your happiness and know you now have a life thats beautiful and worth living because you made it that way.

the fact that you look up to me in any shape or form is crazy to me bc i still feel like that 16 year old girl that wants to be someone better a lot of the time. you telling me i’m as beautiful as the things i admire has probably done more for me than i could ever do for you so thank you very much🥹 but i want you to know that the things that i admire, that make up what you perceive as my beautiful life existed even when i didn’t see my life as appealing or worth living. the pretty flower that i pick and post now is the same pretty flower that grew in my garden as a 16 year old, i just didn’t bother looking for it back then.

this has been long and rambly but anon i truly believe everything you need to feel satisfied with who you are now, and who you will be one day, is right under your nose; and i hope you understand that the beauty of the things around you is only a reflection of yourself so i know your surroundings will always be stunning bc you’re lovely inside and out <3