Dearest Reader,
I would like to ask you to stop what you are doing and sit down for a minute, whether you are reading this while scrolling through your phone or glancing at it in the midst of your final exam review.
I know we are all always busy. As students, there is always another project that needs to be completed or a test that needs to be prepared for. As adults, dinner needs to be made and emails sent to the right people at the right time. It all just becomes one big blob of rushing to get to the next point in life.
I ask you to take a deep breath and simply continue reading.
I am not a Greek philosopher forever pondering the meaning of life; I am only a kid stressing about AP exams and what I will do with my hair tomorrow. However, through observations within my own life and others as well, I believe that it is a good time of year to remind everyone that life is about the little things.
Our achievements in life feel great. Especially in an environment so rich with success, it is easy for us to get lost. Nevertheless, as I type this, my dog is digging her nose into my shins, making me giggle at the soft nudge. These are the moments that make us who we are, that raise compassion within us and help us determine our values.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m as aspired to get into the best universities and be able to drive the best cars as the next person, but when I turn on the radio as an eighty-year-old person, I want to feel something. I want to remember the people I last danced to that particular song with. I want to know that I lived beyond my math homework. I think that as humans, we have so many dreams that we forget they are not the only things that hold value in our lives.
These moments do not have to be time-consuming. The mere acknowledgment of the delight we take away from small parts of our everyday lives contributes to not only our happiness levels but the decisions we make as people in the future.
I thank you for reading this, and I know you must be tired. Still, I hope that this reminded you of the little things you love to do because, in the end, these become your defining factors.
Warmest of regards,
Elena
