SHANEEN KNOWS

After reading Kobe Bryant's open letter to his 17 year-old self, it made me think about all of the things I wish I had known then, that I know now. I think about all of the mistakes I could've avoided and all of the things that I could've done better. I also think about everything that happened when I was 17 years-old that shaped me into the person I am today and all of the hard lessons that I had to endure, which have ultimately given me valuable life experiences that I will take with me for the rest of my days, and pass them on to my children, nieces and nephews. You see, when I was a teenager, I didn't really have anyone offering up sound advice. My parents were still pretty young themselves... late 30's, early 40's so they were living their lives plus I was raised as an only child. My friends provided me with advice which is laughable because we were experiencing the same exact things. Their advice was no better than the advice I could offer them. We