Consider this : ride the heck out of this one
Emma, remember the times you have been to a carnival or big amusement park? There were probably rides there which you were afraid of, but you rode them despite your concerns.
Remember the people laughing and breathless who you saw getting off the ride as you were waiting in line for your turn to enjoy it? That's pretty much the crowd who will be offering you advice now. We have ridden the ride, we loved it, and we want you to know we loved it. We want, more than anything, for you to love it, too.
Some of us will offer some hints on how best to ride the ride, how to avoid bumps and bruises by holding on just so, and all you need to understand in reading all the hints is that all of those offering hints do so with love.
The thing is, the ride–this life we each are given–is a unique experience. Nothing I can say right now will greatly change your experience. Not that I will let that fact slow me down very much.
Have all the fun you can muster, Emma. Love all the people you come to know. Offer kindness to those who are seemingly beyond kindness' benefit. Pause in wonder, stare in awe, and see each morning as if it were your first. Just like a carnival hot dog, life is best enjoyed with relish. Treat your experiences as precious jewels. It all came from Love, Love flows through all, and we all go back to Love.
Ride the heck out of this one, Emma.
-Rick Hamrick, PV, NMPS
(http://hamguin-nohiding.
(http://hamguin-nohiding.
[one of my favorite photos of me with Emma as a wee baby]
I am gathering wisdom from the far corners of the earth to give my older daughter, Emma, as she graduates from high school. What would you say to her? Or to your own 17-year-old self? What thoughts would you ask her to consider? You can submit your advice (instructions here) and 37 of those will be posted over the next 37 days, one each day, culminating in a free e-book of all the submissions after her graduation on June 14th.
