“Everything you have heard from this house, you’ll remember it someday, somehow. Life will remind you. I only hope you don’t remember them with tears in your eyes.”
I said those words to a younger girl who got me upset this morning. After making that statement, I remembered when I was once like her and my parents, especially my mom, said things similar to me.
Truthfully, there are things that, no matter what anyone tells you, or how they tell you, you’ll never fully understand until you experience them.
No one can explain love to you, but they can surely show you the beautiful photos they took after a well-deserved date night. No one can explain heartbreak to you but try listening to Giveon songs. Nothing beats experience. Nothing beats knowing and seeing things for yourself.
I think this is the reason why they say that “Experience is the best teacher.” Because once you’ve experienced something, no one needs to tell you how it is anymore. You know now.
When my mom used to explain how tough life is, I didn’t quite understand until I became an adult. Now, I and my older sister laugh about how we never fully understood things back then and how life has shown us what they meant.
So, when I advise other young people and they react like I was talking to myself all along, I get upset. At the same time, I remember how I reacted back then, and I know that someday, they, too, will understand.
You see, you can have the best intention with your words and actions. You can pray, wish and hope that something good happens to someone. But they also have to want that and do the work needed to get that prayer answered.
So, it’s not your fault that you did and say all you could, but things still went sideways. Some things need time to germinate. Some people need time to fully grasp what is happening to and around them. So, give it time.
Remember that you were once as young, as confused, as unbothered, as eager, as they are right now. Neither you nor they are doing something wrong. Do what you can. Allow time and experience to play their parts. Most importantly, don’t give up on them. They need you more than you know.
As I wrap up here, what’s one thing you heard when you were younger but didn’t understand until you became an adult?
When I was way younger, I loved spending time to watch movies (staying up all night.. literally, hours come and go and I'm still in same spot watching). My Dad said to me "a time will come, you'll own TV's and see movies and won't have the appetite to sit and watch for this amount of time" I laughed and inside of me I said.. "never" 😁 I'm in my early 20's and the reality of that statement is..🥲 I still love good movies though but definitely not spending same amount of time watching.