As the old adage goes, “You never know what you have until it’s gone.” I always saw this quote as a little too blatant, and think of it more along the lines of... Sometimes, we learn to cherish moments more as time progresses.
I recently had to say goodbye to my little sister before leaving for college. Considering our strong relationship, it was not an easy goodbye.
Naturally, being the sentimental, sensitive, 3rd grader at heart that I am, I wrote a series of “Open When…” letters.
If you are not familiar with the trend, these are a series of letters you write for multiple occasions to a friend, family member, or loved one. Some letters include "Open When You're Stressed", "Open When You Need to Laugh", or "Open When You Miss Me" and are written as advice when you are not there to physically show support. However, the letters seem to provide more to the writer than expected.
Writing these letters for three hours through gave me an opportunity to reflect. I wrote about my high school struggles, victories, expectations and experiences, and for the first time, I felt fulfilled with my last four years.
After all, at the end of the day, all we have to remember our lives by are fragments of memories. When you take a moment to reflect, you turn those fragments into something so much more.
If you don’t take a second to look back, everything goes by so quick that you never are able to understand all that you have achieved.
Sure, there are other ways of reflecting on your life- but writing out your experiences in the form of advice to someone else forces you to consider the positives and the negatives, and just what you might have done differently. It gives you a chance to understand your decisions as lessons rather than solely decisions.
If you have a younger sibling you are leaving behind for college, give “Open When” letters a try. Whether you are best friends or barely interact, it is both a nice gesture and a healthy way to recognize your achievements and experiences in the life you’ve led thus far.
If you don't have a younger sibling, there is no shame in writing to the older, wiser, future you. As long as you have the intention of helping the reader by sharing your experiences, you are opening your mind to a world of new perspectives.
So yeah, as cheesy as it sounds- pick up your pencil and start writing.