Give everything you can because that’s all you have

Recently in Literature class we were given as assignment to ask two people in our lives to write us a letter about morals, values, anything that they wanted to say or felt that they should say to us about us leaving soon for college. This letter gave the loved ones in our lives a chance to say the things they've wanted to, but haven't been able to say or have forgotten to say to us.

I had my mom and my brother, who is a senior at University of Arizona, write me a letter. I thoroughly enjoyed this assignment because of the fact that while my parents have always given me advice and rules, this letter gave them the chance to say anything else they've wanted to but haven't gotten the chance to yet. Also, I've never really talked about college or the future of it with my brother all that much mostly because he's always had a hard time remembering I'm not a little kid anymore. He still thinks of me as young and innocent and not as an adult about to embark on a whole new adventure on my own. This letter, though, gave him a chance to accept that I'm about to leave home, go to college, and be independent for the first time. I really enjoyed his letter and valued the things he wrote. My favorite things that he said were, "The best advice I can offer for you in college is to make sure that you enjoy every moment of it...Good luck and always remember the people that helped get you to where you are. They are the most important people in your life and you should always realize how lucky you are." My favorite line of his whole letter, though, was "Give everything you can because that’s all you have." I know my brother is right when he says this because in college, no one knows who you are and all you have is yourself. You need to show people who you are and be yourself because there's nothing else you can do.

I think these letters were important because it allowed the loved ones in people's lives to say the things to them that they haven't been able to say yet. I think it's easier for people to write down the things they want to say rather than to say them. Emotions can get in the way of things when people are trying to express themselves and they often forget things that they wanted to say or say things that they didn't want to say. Writing is an easy way for people to truly express themselves and their feelings.

I encourage you to read this blog while listening to the song "The New Year" by Death Cab for Cutie. I feel that this song reflects people's feelings about embarking on a new adventure.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2MwhxdGAnic

"The New Year"

So this is the new year.
And i don't feel any different.
The clanking of crystal
Explosions off in the distance (in the distance).

So this is the new year
And I have no resolutions
For self assigned penance
For problems with easy solutions

So everybody put your best suit or dress on
Let's make believe that we are wealthy for just this once
Lighting firecrackers off on the front lawn
As thirty dialogs bleed into one

I wish the world was flat like the old days
Then i could travel just by folding a map
No more airplanes, or speed trains, or freeways
There'd be no distance that could hold us back.

There'd be no distance that could hold us back [x2]

So this is the new year [x4]