Dear Little Tri,

Remember when you used to wear boys' clothing in an attempt to hide your body? Claiming you just ‘loved the tom-boy look’. Or how about that one time on holiday, almost 18 years ago, covering your swimsuit with a towel, insisting you were cold–Girl, it was over 20 degrees, who were you trying to fool?

I totally get it, right now your body is doing things you don’t fully understand. So, I wanted to write to you to bring some much-needed comfort and reassurance to what feels like an unsettling transition.

Firstly, you ought to know that you will encounter moments when you feel like you want to be out of your own body. Developing new vulnerabilities with the gradual appearance of body hair, awareness of body odour, your boobs getting bigger and your curves becoming, well even curvier. But hearme loud and clear, puberty is one of the most natural things we go through in order to flourish.

Your body never betrayed you!

I hate to break it to you, but you’ll never be a slim, blue-eyed girl, with blonde straight hair. Your complexion, kinky curls, well-proportioned curves and culture will influence society, so the sooner you learn to embrace it, the easier things will be. Trust me.

Your uniqueness is the first step to real beauty!

Oh, and do me a favour, never forget your love of sport; Running, Badminton, Football, Swimming and especially Dance. As you get older, society will make you feel as though fitness is a punishment for your body. In time, you’ll be reminded that being active makes you feel good and brings you so much joy. Remember, a size label or cup size does not define you or your worth.

Move your body from a place of gratitude, instead of judgement. Yep, your boobs are still getting bigger and that’s ok. Your mum’s been trying to tell you to wear your bras properly, adjust the straps to lift the

girls. Wear a good sports bra for more support when involved in activities, and no, you don’t need ones with loadsof padding. The pads in padded bras don’t give you extra support, so you can cut it out–literally!

Your breasts will be different sizes and grow unevenly, don’t be alarmed. Remember they’re cousins not twins. I mean, they might even be second cousins.

Girl, there are so many more things I want to say, but I guess I’ll just end it by telling you that having bigger boobs is nothing to be ashamed of. You will receive some unwanted attention and feel like everyone is staring at them jiggling away, but the reality is, everyone is too busy dealing with their own insecurities, so do you!

Perfection is unrealistic, don’t shrink yourself to fit in and most importantly, have ownership over your body.

You don’t know it yet, but it’s that very same jiggle that will catapult you into empowering thousands of other Women, and I’m so proud of you.

Authenticity is your superpower!

Lots of love,

Trina