Letter to my nephew upon his high school graduation

Dear Nephew,

I remember the day that you were born. Nanna and I drove down to Crawford Long Hospital on a beautiful summer day to see you. I had just gotten back from Oregon, where I had lived for a year in the hopes my girlfriend at the time would start a life with me. I will tell you about it one day if you are interested but long story short, it never happened. I was 24 years old. We met your Dad in the maternity ward, and a nurse held you up to the window so we could see you. Your Dad had tears in his eyes and was already calling you his little fishing buddy. I remember Nanna telling me that the moment you popped your little head out that “my brother grew into a man right before her eyes”.

I don't know if you remember your first house. It was a tiny little bungalow in Mountain Park near Roswell. I went to one of your birthday parties there. You could only have been 2 years old. I bought you a little inflatable car that you could hop on and pretend to drive. So I guess you can tell everyone that I bought you your first car...ha ha. You graduation tonight makes me remember how I felt when I graduated from Milton in 1984. I just felt lost. I was not a kid anymore, but I did not feel like I was an adult. I found myself in some weird no man's land between two worlds. Just in case you are wondering, most everyone always feels like a kid inside no matter what their age. Just because you are older doesn't mean that you know everything and just because you are young doesn't mean you don't know anything...you just don't have the experience to back it up. You have heard the saying, "there is no fool like an old fool", well that is damn true. I am 42 now and just starting to appreciate some of advice that was given to me twenty years ago. We all have this need to do things our own way, and the best advice in the world can't penetrate that desire. You may not know it but you have just embarked on a journey to discover yourself. You may find that the 30 year old you is not quite the same as the 20 year old you, and so on. It may take some time to settle into “yourself” and that is okay. All of your life experience will color you. It is a journey that only you can walk although everyone will try to show you the way. One day you will find comfort in knowing who you are and everything else will fall in place. So, although this may not mean anything to you now, here is some advice:

 This is YOUR time, do what makes YOU happy as long as it does not harm anyone else.

 If you fail, so what, try to find something positive about the experience and move forward.

 Don't confuse who you are with what you do to make money, the two are exclusive.

 The only dreams and expectations that you can fail to live up to are your own. Don't be too hard on yourself.

 Don't underestimate the kindness, understanding, and intelligence of the people who love you. They are living the human experience and are touched by the complexities of life just as you.

 Life does not owe you anything. Make your own luck and you will never be disappointed.


That is all...end of lecture. The rest I guess you will have to figure out yourself. That is the whole point of life and therein lays the fun. Remember that we love you and will always help you. Just don't be afraid to ask.

Happy Graduation