I'm about to go to my 30th college reunion at Washington and Lee University. I'm a little unsure on what I'll see and how I'll remember things - if I remember at all. Thinking back to that time at graduation 30 years ago, I was wondering what I would tell myself then from me now.
I would start by reminding myself that we all have a number of gifts that we carry. Some we know about now, but other gifts have not been fully discovered. I would tell myself to honor those gifts and use them as much as possible. They are what keep you unique.
Some of those gifts are abilities we might take for granted, or those we might be a bit uncomfortable to admit how something like comic book art, or a certain music, or a quirky hobby makes us feel good. I would telll myself not to hold those matters in, but to embrace them as your own, Sometime we are a little ahead of our time. And the world should catch on to what we already knew.
I would tell myself that there will be times in life that are so good, that they won't last. And you'll miss those times and people and feelings. A lot. And they are not coming back. But if you made the most of the time you had, then you won't regret when things come to an end. With each end, there is a corresponding beginning. This will happen over and over.
Speaking of endings, I would certainly tell me that what you learn about "Quitters Never Win" is just not true. When you come head on to problems of people or circumstances that you can't change, then you need to turn in another direction. Don't waste time trying to fix the unfixable. Stay true to what you think is right and just, even when you have to zig or zag a certain way. Keep moving forward.
And of course you want to know what happens next. There is a lot of happiness in store with your marriage, your daughter, your career and your health. There are going to be bumps on the road, and even if I could tell you how it would turn out, you probably wouldn't believe me. But that is just as well. There are a lot of pleasant surprises in store.
I would lastly tell you that we live in a world of great abundance. Be generous with all that has been given to you.. It is not yours to keep. Realize that God will provide everything you need in return, in unexpected packages.
And like Christmas and birthdays, aren't unexpected packages the best gifts of all?
Great stuff, Greg. I don't know if God gave me the gift of being a good writer, but he did give me the gift of wanting to write and enjoying writing, and that's something I should embrace and be proud of. No doubt there are many twists and turns on the road, but as I heard someone say, there is no road to happiness: happiness is the road.
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