Dear L, 

Life is a gift, and it is important to remember to recognize that fact every day. Even when society feels like it’s weighing you down, it is essential to remember that you’re alive, and there are people that care that you exist. 

A lot of people do not have to worry about the fundamental things that allow us to hold onto life. They do not have to worry about food, or water, or shelter, or to have people around us. They even are given the luxury to complain when something is not going our way, or when life presents us with a natural challenge. 

But there are also a lot of people in the world who don’t have that luxury. There are those on Earth who must wonder every day how they are going to eat and where they are going to find water. They don’t have access to what we do: they don’t have methods to learn, time to think, or things to keep them alive. Some fear waking up every day because they know that darkness lurks just outside their bedroom. They are never healthy; their minds, bodies, and emotions are harmed all the time by those they care about. 

So what I’m trying to tell you, L, is that life is the most precious thing you have. You have everything you need to stay alive, and even more. You can read, write, and do anything you want to in the world. But other people don’t; they have met the unfortunate side of our world. That’s why you have to remember every day that you are on the fortunate side, where you have the time to endeavor in what fascinates you rather than where your next meal is going to come from. 

Even when life throws you into a dark place, and it often will, you have to remember that you’re alive and that that is the most important thing. You must be ever so thankful that, even in those times, you are comfortable because you don’t have to worry about how to stay alive. You know you can get through it. So each day, neutral, good, or bad, you have to spend it the best you can and enjoy it just like any other day. Look for the good things and accept the bad things. When you wake up each morning to the life-giving sun, think about how you have just been given the most special gift of another day. 

Every day is in your hands. You make it what it is. And even when things are out of your control, you can force yourself to remember that one special fact: That like the fresh grass growing in the fields, like the powerful trees bathing in the sun, like the birds flying free through the sky and the dolphins swimming happily through the ocean; you are alive!

Love, 

C