A letter from Jun 7th, 2021

Dear future me, I hope you’re still alive and haven’t become a complete disappointment to your family yet. But in all seriousness, I hope you’ve been doing well. If things went to plan you should’ve graduated in three years and just finished up PA school this year. Hopefully, you weren’t too weird in college and found someone you love and figured out a general direction for where you’re going in life. In a sense, you should be on your way to doing great things. Now you’re probably wondering why you’re getting this letter just now. I hate to break it to you, but I’m going to have to remind you about those “dumb books” you read senior year. Believe it or not, there were a few things that might just help you out moving forward in life. I thought it was best that I share some of those things with you. The first thing I hope you’ve gotten better at is living in the moment. In the book, Fences, August Wilson expresses that most people during that time had to work hard to make a living. However, Lyons, Troy’s son, loves music and ends up arguing with Troy over finding another job. Lyons tells him “I know I got to eat. But I got to live too,” (Wilson 18). I know our parents have made an emphasis on “work hard, play later” but I’ve started to realize that having fun is just as important. I know that just this year my efforts have gotten me into my dream school and plenty of scholarships but none of it matters unless you feel happy. With the time you have left on this earth, promise me to soak up every single moment. You will not regret it. I realized as this year came to a close that the things we love are the things that make life worth living. Every day, you’re given the blessing of waking up; it’s up to us to make it mean something. You’re only given one chance at life. You might as well enjoy the ride. Another lesson I learned from these books is that life doesn’t always go as expected. When we were reading The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt, we finished reading on a sour note. Theo’s father came into the picture, Pippa had left, and he was being forced to move away from the Barbours’ and Hobie. Although, as Theo leaves Hobie’s house, Theo tells us, “He pushed open the door, and I walked out of the house--for the last time, as I thought. But though I had no idea I’d ever be seeing him again, about this I was wrong,” (Tartt 206). In the moments of both of our lives, we’re going on new journeys. As I head to college, you’ll be on your way to the real world. I may not have gone through the things you have yet, but I do know that life is anything but simple. The one thing I’m going to hate more than anything is watching all the friends I’ve made here travel all across the nation to their new lives. What this quote has taught me is to embrace change. The truth is I don’t know what’s going to happen in the future nor can I control it. I believe that the people that matter will find ways to stay in my life regardless of the odds. Life works in a funny way: it doesn’t follow the rules. Odds are nothing but numbers and it doesn’t have to make sense. So my advice is to embrace the unexpected since the world has a way of shaking up your life at any moment. The last thing you need to know is the most important: be yourself. If you remember in Hamlet, William Shakespeare presented us with a character by the name of Polonius. As much of a bumbling idiot this man was, he did happen to tell his son one important piece of advice: “This above all; to thine own self be true” (Shakespeare 1.3.78). Everyone is unique; it’s what makes each and every individual special. I’m sure you’ve grown through a lot of challenging experiences these last 5 years but I hope that you stayed true to who you are. Don’t ever think you’re too old to still play catch or have a water *** fight in your yard. Deep down, you’re still the kid who stuffed his face with pizza every day and loved Pokémon. That kid had all the drive in the world to accomplish all of their dreams. I sure hope you still have that same passion inside of you because it can take you a long way. I’m begging you to never lose that person as you grow up. A lot of people try to fit in and forget about who they are. You aren’t like them though. You don’t need the validation of others to be successful and happy. I truly believe that if you stick to being you and doing what you love, you’re going to have quite an amazing life ahead of you. It’s been a fun adventure so far. I can’t wait for what the future holds for us. I know that by now you could’ve only gotten better and stronger. I’m sure you’re already doing this but never stop fighting for the things you love. Those are the things that get you up in the morning--the reasons why you have a passion for what you do every single day. Continue to chase your aspirations and one day you’ll get to a place no one thought you could reach. I know you can do this. Believe in yourself because there’s a lot of people rooting for you to win in life. I hope that this helped and send my best wishes on the rest of your life. Sincerely, Michael Lewis