In the short time I have lived, I have learned that, even though I don’t know what´s to come tomorrow, going steadily would allow me to reach my destiny firmly. I have learned that, since I let go of the heavy luggage I was carrying and started traveling light, I get to see the beautiful things in life, such as a lovely sunrise and the pretty sunset colors by the shore of the sea that take your breath away. And even though I do not know what the future holds for me, I have decided to live today as if it were a gift God has given me. It is not bad, every now and then, to remember that today is yesterday’s future. When I learned to give and let go, it was the time I gained the most. I also have learned that it does not take much money for you to be happy, and if all you have is today, you definitely learned how to live with what you have. In my life, I have seen the honest and tender smile of a child selling flowers and those ineffable grins from children jumping and pumping themselves on a swing. It taught me that being considered rich for having a lot of money does not make you wealthy, and being considered poor for having so little does not necessarily make you unfortunate.
The reason why we use these words to define one or another is because we take them from socially degrading contexts; perhaps we do not know the real meaning of these terms since true wealth is about having a noble spirit who gives away, expecting nothing in return. Poverty lays in the hearts of those who can only think of themselves, unable to be thankful for the precious gift of life, so that we are the only ones who decide how poor or rich we can be. I have seen people who have done so much with so little and those who have done so little with so much. Ludwig van Beethoven is an illustrative example of this. His father was an alcoholic, and his mother died of tuberculosis, causing his father to fall deep into drinking, and after a while, he would end up in jail. Young Beethoven could do nothing but take on the responsibility of fending for himself and their little brothers, and despite losing his ability to hear, he became the first independent composer, artist, and orchestra director in history. He created magnificent pieces of work that left an unforgettable mark on the world. His life is one of the most accurate examples of showing that everything is possible if you truly want it.
I learned from my mother that we must try to put on a brave face in bad times, and we have to live up each day with enthusiasm. If I’m in need of some piece of advice, she will be there for me, encouraging me with such complicity of hers. From my father, I learned that, in order to make a six-year-old girl feel safe, you should only cover her up at night and stay there until she has fallen asleep. I also learned that if I want to get support and find people who to share my ideas with, even the craziest ones, my friends will always be there to laugh with and cry whenever it is necessary. I can act a little immature around them if it pleases me, and everything will be all right still. Despite the fact that I can count my friends in just one hand and I still have fingers left, I do not need a million friends to be happy. Quantity never overcomes quality. I learned that, on many occasions, the absence of people around me has done me well since it has helped me to know myself inside. Being alone with myself has taught me to be a better person when I’m in company. I learned that, sometimes, you can be distracted by the noise, but silence can scream out loud who you truly are.
From love, I have learned that the only way to enjoy it fully is by showing myself just the way I am, in all of my facets, good and bad ones too. I learned that there can be sex without love and love without sex, and the sweetest and tenderest of caresses is given with opened eyes and felt with closed eyes. I learned to laugh out loud and cry incessantly if I needed to; likewise, I learned not to hide my sneezing but to sneeze loudly, and when I do so, the sobbing feelings go away completely. No matter how hard I try, I will never be able to hide my feelings, and that makes me authentic. Whatever happened yesterday prepared me for today, and today I am getting ready for tomorrow. I am not better or worse than anyone but simply the best version of myself, with virtues and flaws, and in the hardest times, there has always been someone reaching out their hand for me so that I can climb another step. This someone has lots of names: Lord, Prince of Peace, Jehovah, or God, but among all of these names, my favorites are: Father and Friend. Even though there is still a lot for me to do, I keep believing in Him as if I were a little girl. His glory shall never grow apart from me, and sooner than later, He will rain over me with blessings and continue showing me what is left ahead for me to smile and walk.
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