dear raine,

I was scrolling through my flickr archives and found these. They weren't taken very long ago-- just a year and a half but you've grown so much.

I came to visit you today and you were getting your nails painted and you were putting on lip gloss. You're really good at hula-hooping. And you have this doll that you pretended to feed when we ate lunch.

You're a little more stubborn now, a little more maarte. I'm excited to see you grow and to see who you become, but I saw these photos and wanted to say this:

I miss your chubby cheeks. I miss the way your hair would bounce after you'd just woken up. I miss you calling me "Ate Es" and I miss being your BFF. I miss pushing you around the kitchen island in that plastic car, how you never realized to turn the steering wheel, how the car only played three songs and I knew them by heart. I miss how you used to say "Elmo" and when we asked you what color something was, you always said "red." I miss your sign language, and the way your tiny hands and chubby arms moved when you signed. I miss how you used to kiss anything and everything: Elmo, your teddy bear, my camera, me. I miss the little videos we made, how you sang songs and counted in tagalog. How we'd run around the island with Uncle David chasing you, and you would laugh/squeal.

I know that the best part of being in your life is watching you grow and seeing how to turn into the person you're meant to be. But for right now, I miss my little Raine-drop. Little Raine-drop who only wanted to bake so she could lick the spoon and smear chocolate/frosting/whipped cream all over her chubby cheeks.

love,

Ate Es

dear life,

i drink coffee and have a full-time job now. does this mean i'm an adult?

love,

celeste

dear 2012,

i know this is about 11 days overdue, but...

let's do this.

love,

celeste

dear 11 year old self,

You're.. developing. It's awkward. You think it's awful. I'm here to help you out.

You see from here (11 years later), I'm looking back on your mortification. You think it's uncomfortable wearing a bra and you HATE the fact that you have to start wearing one. How are you going to play football at recess now?

But let me tell you: soon enough, you'll feel comfortable in your own skin again (and it's sooner than 11 years). It's going to be awkward at first, but you'll get the hang of the clasp in the back. Bra shopping really sucks-- so leave it to Mom for as long as you can. Then think of it as joining a new club, where more than half of the population is right there with you.

And in the mean time, don't wear a white bra with a white shirt. Trust me.

Love,
Future You

dear employee-seeking employers,

I think we can all agree that the job market is a little bit of a mess right now. All of us new graduates are eager to start their adult lives, and you're trying to find the best of the best for your company. You get dozens (if not hundreds) of responses to your job listings and all of a sudden you're overwhelmed by all of this potential. People are desperate to work for you, and before you know it, you're a new kind of commodity.

I get it.

But I'm writing from the other side of the spectrum. While you get your pick of the litter, I'm fighting for your attention. I promised myself I'd never be one of those people who writes generic cover letters and sends as many out as possible. I take my time to write to you. I only apply to jobs that I think would suit me. I really think we'd be a good team. We both have a lot to offer to one another.

But lately all of this attention has been going to your head.

I understand that if you get hundreds of applicants, it's going to be difficult to write back to everyone. But what happens when you actually call someone in for an interview?

Well, in a recent experience, I was invited to come in for not just one-- but three visits. A writing test, a preliminary interview, and a final interview. Each of these appointments was given at the last minute--in fact, for the final interview, I received an email at 8:30am asking me to come in at 2pm the same day.

If dropping everything I have planned is what it takes-- I'll do it. In fact, I did do it.

But now it's more than 3 weeks later and I haven't even been given the courtesy of an email with any notice. How can you expect such professionalism from your candidates when you can't even return the favor? How difficult is it to email or call to say, "Thank you for coming in but we've hired another candidate."

I know that not all employers are like this, but the fact that any exist is disheartening. Especially after asking me to come in so many times and at such short notice.

Employee-seeking employers, please clean up your act.
*coughcatherinehallstudioscough*

love,
Celeste

dear pinterest,

Shame on you.

I wish the world would stop insisting on this single-minded idea of beauty.

disappointed,

celeste

dear moneyball,

No offense, but I hope you guys leave out Chapter 4.

love,
Celeste