I hope by now I’ve learned patience and know the qualities I want in a friend. Oh yeah...I really hope I’ve gotten a new car, too!
Susan just graduated from High School and while she is looking forward to college, she is a little apprehensive about the next chapter in her life.
On her graduation day, she received an email from GabrielsVault. The message contained a link to an audio recording from her Aunt Ellie. The recording talked about how proud her aunt was of her and that if Susan felt anything like Ellie had at the same age, then she was probably feeling a healthy mix of excitement and worry about September. Ellie shared some helpful advice that she had been given when she had just graduated high school, all those many years ago and might still have some value for Susan.
Susan took her Aunt’s advice and wrote herself a letter that she scheduled to be delivered to herself in five years. In the letter, she talked about the things she would miss and the things she was looking forward to. Then she faced her fears and spelled out the things that were keeping her up at night lately…”what if I don’t make new friends, what if the work was too hard for me, what if I got lost?”
When Susan ultimately answered how she intended to handle these challenges she was able to see that most of her concerns had simple solutions...”I will probably love my roommate, but, just in case, I’ll join the school’s intramural soccer club. College is full of smart people who could help me when I got stuck and come on now….I have google maps on my phone!”
With all of that out of the way, Susan started envisioning her future and could acknowledge that while it can be overwhelming, she’s ready for it! She also can’t wait to receive a long forgotten letter to herself. But what she doesn’t realize yet is that her Aunt’s real gift comes then….when she sees for herself that her perspectives evolved over time and will again and again through her life.
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