The life we live may not necessarily be the life we want

But we have to live it any way we can

Never regret the decisions you make

Because even the biggest mistakes will teach you the most valuable lessons

Yes I know it’s tough to live in the ghetto, the dark side of L.A

The side nobody likes to speak about

The side nobody would want or wants to live in

The side where nobody is expected to be successful

And where the people with money go to make themselves feel richer

I know you know this already

But it’s important for you to be reminded about this each and every day

Yeah, of course it is life is tougher when there is no money at home

When a single mother, who once tried to escape poverty from El Salvador

Is trying so hard to escape it once again

It is hard to know you can’t help her get through this

But I’m sure she would appreciate your effort

Anything that could help her stress out a bit less

Anything that could lower her future heart problems

Anything that made her worries less

Anything that would bring at least one more dollar home, do it

And even though that won’t help fix all the money problems back at home

It will definitely make it a bit better

As I reflect back to you

I remember how insecure I was

I am the girl who nobody believed in and who in return believed in nobody

I am that girl whose fear of being judged took over her personality

I am that girl who had friends but never felt like going out

Sometimes this girl wants to come back, and sometimes she just goes away

Sometimes I wish this girl could change, and be a toddler all over again

That 3 year old who could sing and dance to church songs in front of the whole world and not care about what they would have to say

That 3 year old who wasn’t afraid to be curious about her surroundings

That 3 year old that thought that life could only get better

Because when life started shifting and became more complex

When life presented you with a new sister and a new life without a dad

That’s when the excitement of ever having new experiences went down the drain

That’s when let your shyness and your fear control your life

And if I could go back to you, I promise you I would help you not miss all those beautiful opportunities you had to do what you had been wanting to do, or say all those things you had been waiting to say

I would stop the fear and the shyness from invading your life

You deserved so much more new experiences, and I’m sorry for not giving them to you

I’m still trying to change now

I am trying so hard to change

And all the time and effort I have put is there

You’ll see yourself speaking out for others

But most importantly speaking out for yourself

There might not be much of a difference between you and me

but in reality, there actually is

Oh, and remember your dream school?

Yeah, the one ten minutes away from home.

Yes, USC, your dream school since like forever.

Well guess what? You won’t be attending there, and it’s not because you got rejected, but because I decided to never even apply there

I’m sorry to ruin this for you

But some things are better to be said than to be kept secret

And some decisions are made based on what you want in life

I thought about your future

I thought about your past

I thought about all the new experiences I could have

Hoping that my shyness will not interfere with any of them anymore

Right now you may hate me

You may not think right now that any college is better than USC, but just trust me on this one

The place I chose for you may not be the best place on Earth

It may not be as prestigious as Harvard or Yale

But it is definitely the right place for you

The place where you will try to become a better person

The place where you will find your true calling in life

The place you will eventually call your second home

Just remember that your hard work will pay off at the end

Your mother’s effort will pay off eventually as well

And even though many people will come and go, remember family is always there

Family will be there to support you on your decisions

Some friends will support you in your decisions as well, and others may not

Nothing you are doing is in vain

So, remember this every single day you decide to give up

The life we live may not necessarily be the life we want

But we have to live it any way we can

And any way we want to