Dear Future Self,
As I get older, I always want you to remember the happy memories I had with those I love. The times that made me feel like I couldn’t be doing anything better and the way they were always there for me at my side. 
Besides having the most amazing people in my life, I also want you to remember the way I was pushing through life and not giving up no matter what came my way. I don’t ever want to forget how strong I am as I can put on a smile even on the hardest days of my life. The way as a teenager I could deal with school, jobs, and family problems—while drowning in mental health problems.
Besides personal problems, I never want you to forget how much you love your family and the things they have done for me. The little things that meant the most to me and even when there were problems so often, I never loved them less. They helped me grow into the person I am now and taught me to be humble and strong. To never give up no matter what and to always give it my all. 
I always want you to remember the traditions in my family because it seemed nothing could tear us apart at these times. The grill-outs on our porch, the trips to our cabin up north, and the parties we throw for holidays. These moments made me feel as if our family was like a pack of lions. We would fight for each other and always protect one another. Problems would arise, but problems would also go. Our family always remembered this which would help us in the end to know we will never give up on each other. 
Finally, I would never want you to forget how I could be myself, even when others tried to influence me. As a teenager, a lot of expectations would be put up and if you could not follow them, you would be perceived as an outsider or even strange. This is something I did not care about as I stuck to the way I was raised and always will.
 It is truly a gift to be the person you were born as and to never change only to please someone else is something that should never be forgotten. 

Sincerely, 
Yourself, at age 16