Tuesday, August 2, 2011

for Stacey...

For my best friend, Stacey, on what would have been her 39 birthday.
Please watch. And feel free to re-post.


Dear 16 year old me,
If I knew then what I know now:
I would not have used tanning beds to get that glow or try to get a "base" tan before going on vacation.
I would not have used baby oil to bake in the sun.
I would not have spent hours trying to get a dark tan, which my pale skin was never meant to have.
I would have applied sunscreen daily, even on the cloudy days.
I would have covered up and sought shade.
And while it may be 22 years later, I now vow to wear my sunscreen, to slather it on my son, to nag my husband to wear it even though he may get tired of the nagging.
I vow to cover-up and take cover if I can.
I vow to teach my son that while the sun is nice, too much of it is a very bad thing.
I vow to keep the memory of my dear friend, Stacey, alive.

Dear 16 year old me - You are smart. You are beautiful. You are dedicated. And you are loved.
Never forget that. And don't let anyone ever tell you different.
XOXO - Me.

2 comments:

urban muser said...

what a beautiful tribute to your friend. i am sorry to hear what happened to her. makes you think...

Shawntae said...

I'm so sorry for the loss of your friend Andrea. Thank you for sharing this video. I also have fair skin and gave up on being tan a long time ago, but I spent years trying to be tan only to end up with a sunburn and peeling. I do have a lot of moles and one specifically that I thought seemed to be getting larger. I'm definitely going to be getting it checked out.