A letter from Apr 25, 2026

Dear Steven, It has been a long journey. Since sixth grade, we both couldn't imagine the day until you graduate. It's interesting and heartwarming seeing you grow and change your perspective throughout the year. Since the last time we got to chat, so much happened. One year, multiple things have changed. Tomorrow is when you're officially done with high school. Done with the micromanagement from this place. Tomorrow when you wake up, it'll be the last time you get to sleep on this bed; Eat from this cafeteria with your friends, while bantering; Look at Maine the way it was for the last time as it freezes in time in your memory. Isn't it beautiful? You once grew tired and sick of this cold weather. You're once grumpy and moody during the middle of January. You counted days until it's over, until the school calendar is empty. Yet today, it's here. The day when it's all over. You look around you as the green grew greener than it has since the last spring. This summer was as captivating as any the summer since you arrived. The warm breeze blowing from the ocean, accompanied with the fluttering of the pine branches and the soft sound of wind, wiggling its way through every inch of the tree. Maine bloom as it did every summer. Yet, this time as you're about to leave, the summer of the town by the ocean reaches it hands out with the green vegetations to hold you back once more. The petrichor of the occasional rain lingers, and the scenery imprints into your mind. A Maine that you once had. A Maine that you might've lost. Before you go, there's much to be said. Live life as if you were to die tomorrow. You should live it in such a way that if you die, you carry as little down to your grave. From now, I want you to do this for me: Don't always live looking ahead. You too often focus on what you don't have just to realize the abundance of reality. You constantly pursue an ideal image of who you should be. While that's the right direction, it's important that you don't get loss looking ahead. When you focus too much on the discrepancy between who you are and who you could be, you tend to beat yourself up because you aren't there. Oh Steven, don't you realize that self-improvement isn't punishment. It isn't to punish who you aren't; it's a celebration of who you can be and who you are at the moment. I know you have done some things that you couldn't forgive yourself. Although it's good that you held yourself up to such a standard, it's important to not use the future to avenge the past. Sometimes, what happened has already happened. Sometimes, a lesson learnt is adequate. Self-improvement doesn't call for self-hatred. It should be from a place of love. Love for whom you improve for, and the love of oneself. There's no need to gnaw yourself until the bone just to finally be forgiven by those who aren't even there to judge you. All I ask is a little mercy on yourself. Talk to yourself how you'd talk to your family. Don't spend every waking moment for self-torment because you couldn't change the past. It isn't the past that you could change; it's not the future that you should be concerned; however, it should be the present that you live.