Dear My Past Self,
When you see dad, don’t get angry and don’t be sad. We both know that times are rough, but it eventually gets better, trust me. Don’t spend your entire 5th grade year worrying. Worrying is useless, because it’s like sitting in a rocking chair; it gives you something to do, but you don’t get anywhere. You waste time and don’t accomplish anything. For now, I want you to get to know your Catholic faith. You know that St. William is a Catholic school, right? Well, look into the Catholic faith, because it’ll make living much easier. Learn about God, and better yourself as a person. Also, I’m sure that you know the lesson learned through dad’s example. That’s one thing to be thankful for. Your stubborn brother Rex doesn’t think of him as a blessing, but in a few years, you’ll see that Rex was wrong. One more thing: when you wake up in the morning, put on a big smile and say good morning to everyone who is awake. Yes, that includes dad. It’s good to be kind to people, regardless of their situation. Give him the strength to recover before he worsens his health. He’ll need everyone in the family to support him. I know you’re angry that I’m asking this of you, but you need to understand that there is a lot about his sickness that you don’t know about. Teach dad the right path through the teachings and examples of Jesus. Christ makes life so much happier and easier, more than I can say. Also, I know that you’re thinking that it’d be scary to confront dad, but I know that you’ll find the courage, because you understand better than anyone, that now is the time for change. I’d like to give you one final word of advice. It’ll take you some time to understand this, but live every day like you’re going to die when you go to sleep. You aren’t literally going to die, but I’m saying this is to tell you that you shouldn’t waste your life, so that when you die, you can die knowing that you fulfilled your life and don’t have any regrets about things that you could have or should have done. Don’t waste the day playing video games all the time. Learn to play for only a couple hours, then pray. Give thanks to God for everything that you’ve experienced so far, are experiencing now, and will experience in the future, good and bad. When is the last time that you thanked God for the people and things around you? When is the last time that you appreciated mom, or Rex, or abuela? When is the last time you’ve thought about how fortunate you are to be able to eat food and drink water whenever you are hungry or thirsty? If you spent 30 minutes contemplating your death every day, you’d not only appreciate every little thing around you more, you’d find greater happiness and value in everything you do. Of course, you’re still young, so it’ll take some practice, but don’t forget what you’re trying to accomplish and why.
God Bless,
Your Future Self,
Cyrus Rios – St. Patrick – DMSF