Dear My Sixteen Year Old Self

Dear Self,

Hi there.  Listen girly, one piece of advice today-

Do not, and I repeat for exaggeration, do not ever consent to accept any jewelry from any of your male acquaintances under any circumstance unless his name is Jake with blond hair, blue eyes, and speaks perfect Cantonese.  Do you hear me?  For it will only lead to heartbreak...

Sure it might seem like a very romantic thing for an admirer to hand you a robin-egg-blue-colored box with a perfectly tied white ribbon wrapped around it, and you might feel awkward refusing the gift but it would be a wise decision to just say thank you but no thank you.  And then say it again to the many more robin-egg-blue-colored boxes that will be presented to you in the future.  Because when that person no longer admires you nor you him, you will think to yourself Darn it!  Now I can never wear that tiffany bangle that matches so well with everything and makes all of my outfits look so much better.  And then you will go out in search for another bangle that will fit your tiny little wrist just as perfectly and fail miserably.  Still, you refuse to wear the one that was gifted to you so you buy another one, exactly the same, and hope that if you ever run into your ex wearing the bangle that he will not mistake the gesture.  Because, let's face it, the best thing you got out of that relationship was the knowledge that Tiffany makes an absolutely stunning bangle that fits you perfectly.  Was that too harsh?  I'm not sorry to have spoken the truth.

And guess what?  That Jake I mentioned earlier.  He is going to be the one.  Believe it or not, he absolutely adores you and is running out of ideas of what to get you for all of the special days that you're going to spend together.  He will get so desperate that he'll come home one day and have in his hands frying pans as a "just because" surprise present.  He's really cute, that one.

Yours truly,
Your Wiser Self