Model Pens Moving Letter to Her Younger Self: ‘Your Weight Does Not Define You!’

One model has a very special message for her younger self.

Dana Patterson took to Instagram last week, posting a childhood photo of herself along with a message for the little girl: “Defy unrealistic expectations.”

The curvy model paired the old photo with a recent modeling shot of herself. She began the heartfelt letter, “Dear younger me, the things I wish I could have said.”

“Just because you are not blonde, blue eyed, and thin as a rail doesn’t mean you are ANYTHING less,” she wrote “You’ll be grateful for your eyebrows someday, you’re welcome.”

Patterson’s Instagram account is filled with body positive captions and honest posts — along with modeling shots. The size 14 model is signed with LA Model Management.

She continued the post with mentions of her previous insecurities.

“You’ll love the hair that makes people call you hagrid,” she wrote, referring to the wild-haired Harry Potter character Rubeus Hagrid. “You’ll love your full lips and olive skin with peach fuzz.”

She added: “Those thighs you hate now will carry you through 3 junior olympics. Crazy right?!”

“YOUR WEIGHT DOES NOT DEFINE YOU! THE WAY YOU LOOK DOESNT DEFINE YOU!” she continued. “Don’t listen to the people who say it does.”

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The post has garnered thousands of Likes and many social media users have written comments of gratitude, calling Patterson “inspiring.”

She ended the letter with a call for others to share their own words of wisdom to their younger selves.

“I wanted to create this #dearyoungerme tag so that maybe someone in need can read the things I wish I knew when I was younger, and that it’s actually awesome to defy unrealistic standards,” Patterson wrote.