To My Younger Self.
You did it. Alexander…you did it! I’m so proud of you, you little champion. Your dreams have and are coming true. I wish you could know it, but let’s be real, you always did know it would happen.
You were the Harry Potter kid. That sick, little boy, suffering so much, when the Philosopher’s Stone on VHS was given to you in the hopes it would make you feel better. It took you to another world. All the times you lined up for every movie, every book, every set of lego — heck, even the times you dressed as Harry for your birthday — be proud. That series made you want to write, to be an author, to one day hope to create something that could emulate a fraction of what Potter did for your generation. Today, you turn 27, and you’re doing just that. Alexander, you’re going to be a published author.
Alexander, you were the soccer kid. You were the kid who could rattle off every player from Manchester United and their families. Every year you’d get a jersey and a copy of FIFA, to enjoy alongside watching your team and your heroes. There was always the hope that one day, no matter how, you’d see them live and even meet those players. You did just that, and that childlike wonder was draped across your face the whole time.
Alexander, you never lost that excitement, that zest for life. Always wanting to learn everything, to do everything, to be everything. You wanted to be fit, to be smart, to have goals, to kick goals, to chase your dreams with the same stubborn enthusiasm and persistence, no matter the challenges facing you. An obstacle was to be overcome, not to be there to defeat you. You never lost that as you got older. You became, in effect, a big kid. But, to be fair, it might be your defining trait.
Alexander, those that doubted you, that hurt you, wronged you…you learned to defeat them. I know exactly what you were subjected to, and a lesser person may have succumbed to it. But you didn’t. You took it in stride, ran with it, and said “watch this.” Sure, it got to you initially. I remember those nights where you cried, were scared, where you just wanted to curl up into a ball and make it all go away. I won’t lie, sometimes those nights stuck around, and didn’t remain in your time. However, like you did as a little boy, you got up and kept moving forward, regardless of what circumstances you were faced it. You endured so much, and became the strong man you always wanted to be.
Alexander, most importantly, you were, are, and will continue to be loved. You’ll see the family and friends you’ll have, the way they support you and have your back. It will bring a tear to your eye. You are the luckiest and happiest man on earth right now. Little Alexander, when you get to this point, you will see it. Until then, stay the course. Everything you’ll ever want, it’s coming.
