IT'S THE SMALL THINGS
You have just gone through a whirlwind of emotions because of the loss of loved ones one after the other. But, you have also just celebrated our “coming of age” as society deems it in a most grand manner. You will realize as time goes on that such is life – it is a balance. Thus, everything in moderation is key. You cannot have it all, nor will you be at the top (or bottom) forever. The world is round, and life is a cycle of ups and downs.
As always, you are doing well in school. But this year, you might be doing even better. You have been accepted (early) into your dream college, your grades are at an utmost high, you are in the student council, and you have recently discovered the comfort of friendship and camaraderie to get you through.
You have had your share of humps and bumps, but your roller coaster ride is really just about to begin. In a few months, you will be wrapping up a 12-year chapter of living in your comfort zone, and a new page is about to be turned. Savor it, learn from every moment, but remember, this chapter will also come to an end – unfortunately, all good things do.
You are about to enter some of the best four years of your life. Sure, you will have sleepless nights, bouts of homesickness, and moments when you wish you just stayed back home. But from the struggles, you will emerge stronger and more triumphant. You are at a phase in your life where you are responsible enough to make decisions, but when it is still acceptable to be dependent and supported by your parents. Relish in that privilege, but do not take it for granted. In the next four years, keep an open mind, and be willing to take calculated risks. It will allow you to re-discover yourself, strengthen your passion, find your purpose, and set-up your stage for the next phases of your life.
You will find love along the way – at a most unexpected time, and perhaps even in the least expected of situations. But you will soon realize it is a relationship that sits with you differently, and the sparks might just last forever. You will meet the man you will marry, but you may not know it at the onset. Just remember that true love is more like the kind of love you were blessed to be raised with, and exposed to all your life. It is less like the movies.
As you foray into adulthood – the early part of it, that is – many moments will humble you, but more moments will give you that validation you seek. Hold those humbling moments close to your heart, for it is in those situations that wisdom is gained, and shines through most staunchly. These are the nuggets of knowledge you will carry with you for the rest of your life. The friends who fall with you are those whose hands you want to hold at the pinnacle of your happiness. Remember them. Remember those faces. They do not come by too often.
Your best years are only about to come. Embrace them. Dance to the beat of life’s drums. Cry through the cruelties that life slaps you with if you have to, but promise yourself that you will never give up – even when it seems to be the easier option. You will make it through.
(I decided to start this series of letters to my “younger self” as an answer to some of the pleas and calls I have been hearing about, and seeing on social media. Truly, adolescence is a tough time in the lives of all, but when exacerbated by the pandemic and lockdowns, the after effects can be crippling. I write this to remind everyone that despite the differences in what we all go through, the similarities keep us in parallel, and though in varying degrees, we all endure hardships at various stages in our lives. And whatever challenge you may be going through at this moment, you will get through, and your feelings – they are always valid.)