Dear Noemi, As you reach the age of 18, I am writing to share some thoughts and experience. There will be many difficult and perhaps seemingly life-changing decisions facing you, where you must struggle on the pros and cons and regrets and where alternative futures are seemingly closed off. Be reassured that you’ll have a lot of these in life. You may be wracked with doubt given the direction the world seems to be going at all sorts of levels, with hopelessness, inertia, doom and above all uncertainty. Don’t worry: humankind has, throughout its history, waited expectantly for the end of the world but tended to wake up the next day, and the next, to find that life each time, on average, is a little but perhaps imperceptibly better. You are blessed with loving and devoted parents. Listen to them, but not too much, for with every step in your life you will need to find the rhythm and meaning of your own direction. You will have the rest of your existence to reflect on how your circumstance brought you here and drive your own unique internal clockwork; remember always that love has a value beyond measure and entails joy as well as sacrifices that we may only fully appreciate a long time afterwards. As you reflect on your plans and the foundation that made you what you are today, don’t forget to live adventurously and to consider, every now and then, that you might be mistaken. Your beliefs will evolve over time; give them and yourself space to breathe long, considered and distracted moments before getting too set in one way or another. Never stop opening doors, because while it is true that some may swing the other way, one of the greatest privileges of life is discovery, a bit of mischief, and not knowing what exactly is around the next corner. Be yourself: but don’t ruminate too long about who this person is. Nevertheless, questioning things of all sorts is healthy and drives us to new places and ways of thinking. Keep close to your friends, they will come and go over time – this helps to weave the rich and evolving tapestry of life. The best friends will always be there for you, however long it may be that you have last seen them or however late you call them. Always revel in the delight of learning, however mundane it may seem; every moment and subject opens new possibilities and opportunities for growth. Write and record what you do; you never know when you might want to look back and see have you have moved on (or not), or perhaps be inspired one day to write a letter to a beloved but infrequently encountered niece setting out in life. Dear Noemi, the world is waiting for you to add a few more footprints, silly and serious moments, dance and dreams, that will be yours and yours alone.
