ICYMI Caitlin Moran (a popular British personality) wrote a posthumous letter (even though she’s actually still alive) to her teenage daughter that immediately became an internet hit. Her letter is a beautiful, funny mix of notes-on-the-fridge reminders, plus advice you can only get from someone that has already survived the challenges of young adulthood.

The reason behind her letter hits close to home. As she explains: “I’ve been smoking a lot recently, and so – in the wee small hours, when my lungs feel like there’s a small mouse inside them, scratching to get out – I’ve thought about writing [my daughter] one of those ‘Now I’m Dead, Here’s My Letter Of Advice For You To Consult As You Continue Your Now Motherless Life’ letters.”

You can read her entire letter as it originally appeared in The Times (UK), but we’ve gone ahead and pulled out our favorite bits for you.

In other words, there’s a benefit to all those things that seem terrible at the time: they make for more interesting stories later on.

This. A million times over.

There’s a skewed representation of body types in the media and occasionally we need to be reminded that we should strive to look like the best version of ourselves, not anyone else.

Take notes, mom, because this sounds way more appealing than “well, they aren’t really your friends then, are they?”

Well, when you put it like that! Definitely one of the better smoking metaphors we’ve ever heard.

Because you can.