Ellie, over the past 5 years, I have been in awe that your
Mom and Mimi have been writing letters to you every week. Your Mom and Mimi have a talent that I
do not possess, but greatly admire.
In the spirit of
challenging my own self, I would like to share with you my almost 6 decades of
life experiences.
1. I realized
that “our roads” to success have been
paved by everyone that has come before us. So with each passing birthday Ellie, I hope you will
take a moment to look back and see “your
road” the one that is paving your future.
2. If you were
to take a picture of the “you” today, you need to know that there is more than
just a pretty young lady staring back at you from the photo. That picture is like a jigsaw puzzle made up of many pieces. Your family, friends and daily life
moments shape each of those pieces.
3. That being
said Ellie “YOU” are responsible for You. You have the final decision of the person you want to
be. So challenge yourself
everyday. Don’t take the easy road
and blame someone else for a wrong choice made. Be responsible.
5. Education
will get you everywhere. Never
stop learning Ellie. Our mind is
one of the greatest gifts given to us, so fill it with knowledge and lots of
it. It is an important key to
success.
4. Everyone at
some point in life goes through difficult times; your success or failure will
depend on how you handle all situations including the tough ones. And if you are ever in doubt, ask for
help.
6. What you do
everyday matters more than what you do once in a while. Put your best foot forward each morning
and you will sleep better each night.
7. Live your
life with Integrity and Honesty, remembering your word is everything.
8. A leader
leads by a positive example. Be a
leader Ellie… you have that capability.
9. I have
learned through my many years that hard work as well as common sense brings opportunities
to our paths, and many of those opportunities bring success.
10.
Lastly Ellie, I would like to leave you with an inspirational piece that
has had a profound effect on me. I
use to be the person who looked for “the
station,” but no more.
With
age, I have become a bit wiser (or so I would hope!). Please read the following poem Ellie, and don’t forget to Stop and Smell the Roses on your own path
of life.
Love,
Your Poppy
The Station
By: Robert J. Hastings
Tucked away in our subconscious is an idyllic vision.
We are
traveling by train, out the windows,
we drink in the passing scenes of
children waving at a crossing,
cattle grazing on a distant hillside,
row upon
row of corn and wheat,
flatlands and valleys,
mountains and rolling hillsides
and city skylines.
But uppermost in our minds is the final destination.
On
a certain day, we will pull into the station.
Bands will be playing and flags
waving.
Once we get there, our dreams will come true
and the pieces of our
lives
will fit together like a completed jigsaw puzzle.
Restlessly we pace
the aisles,
damning the minutes - waiting,
waiting, waiting for the station.
"When we reach the station, that will be it!"
We cry. "When
I'm 18." "When I buy a new 450sl Mercedes Benz!" "When I
put the last kid through college."
"When I have paid off the
mortgage!"
"When I get a promotion." "When I reach
retirement,
I shall live happily ever after!"
Sooner or later, we
realize there is no station, no one place to arrive.
The true joy of life is
the trip.
The station is only a dream.
It constantly outdistances us.
"Relish the moment" is a good motto.
It isn't the burdens of today
that drive men mad.
It is the regrets over yesterday and the fear of tomorrow.
Regret and fear are twin thieves who rob us of today. Regret is reality, after
the facts.
So stop pacing the aisles and counting the miles.
Instead,
climb more mountains, eat more ice cream,
go barefoot more often,
swim more
rivers, watch more sunsets, laugh more, cry less.
Life must be lived as we go
along.
The STATION will come soon enough.
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