To my beloved childhood iPod Nano,

This week, it was announced that you were discontinued. Little did I realize how much of an impact you made in my life until after that fateful announcement. Little did I know how much of an impact you had on my childhood and the childhoods of others across the world.

Growing up as a Millennial, we were the first generation to experience the huge technology boom, especially with Apple products becoming new and popular and electronics becoming smaller and portable. You were no exception. My iPod Nano helped shape my childhood and is something I will never forget.

Thank you for all of the times you saved my butt from getting into middle school drama during lunch, study hall, and before and after school with friends fighting over boys. While listening to friends argue over who had the better outfit for the seventh grade mixer, I was likely standing against the wall with my iPod intact, turning up the tunes to drown the drama out.

Of course, I was in seventh grade back in 2008, but this was a year where the iPod Nanos really became popular and everyone basically had one. However, not only was the iPod essential to keep up with the trends and to feel cool, it essentially developed my love and passion for music I still have to this day.

I will never forget the first iPod I ever owned. Opening up that little blue iPod surely made my heart jump and swim and that was the best gift anyone could give me. Owning an iPod gave me the gift in my life that would be music.

Because of you, my cherished iPod, I was able to listen to music that would otherwise be considered lame by the seventh grade standards. Of course, I was not opposed to listening to the likes of Lady Gaga's first album, "The Fame," or even other popular artists including Taylor Swift, Timbaland, Rhianna, and Leona Lewis. However, my iPod became an extension of myself and my personality.

Because of you, I was able to carry around the anthems of my childhood. While many of my friends loved the likes of T-Pain, Chris Brown, and Lil Wayne, I went in the opposite direction, and not just with my top 40s picks. Not only did my iPod have hits from bands such as Linkin Park, One Republic, Finger Eleven, and Coldplay, but it had classics from before we were born. Growing up, I was exposed to a lot of classic rock music and my iPod reflected that. In fact, my first concert was a Metallica concert back in 2009. Bands like Metallica, Aerosmith, and Led Zeppelin were always on my iPod, and my wonderful iPod allowed me to enjoy them in peace without dealing with criticism from those around me for listening to "lame" or "old" music. Kids already go through a lot, but to insult the one thing they love, that is something that could haunt the rest of their lives.

Today, I still have an iPod, but it's different than the one I grew up with of course. However, like many others, I have switched to listening to my music on the go on my phone as everything is on one device. With technology constantly changing and evolving, we naturally just adapt to it, especially as Millennials given we were the first generation to really grow up with these technologies.

So to my childhood iPod, thank you. Thank you for bringing music into my life even when it did not seem like a song could be sung. You helped bring a light into a time where the clouds seemed dark. Thank you for making music one of my biggest passions in life.

Sincerely,

Your faithful listener