My Beloved Chelsae,
I was sitting on my rocking chair this morning, looking back on my life, giving advice to my 26 year old granddaughter and I thought of you. I looked back to when you were 26 and remember it like it was yesterday. This was a transformational period of life for you, as it is for most twenty somethings, but this year in particular was special. This was the year you questioned everything and took a risk that changed your perspective on life. This was an impactful year, like many you will experience in the next few decades of life. I have a word of advice for you too, my beloved.
I see this young woman who is just starting to see life for what it is while getting a taste for what it could be. Impressionable to a fault and easily influenced by the external. She has this burning desire at the pit of her stomach to do such big things in this world and sees the infinite possibility yet vastness of what we created as humans thus far. Her naive spirit keeps her dreamer ambitions alive while her feisty energy keeps her grounded. She put so much pressure and expectation on herself to succeed in her younger years that she needed some space to get to know herself better from beyond the intellectual component. So she radically changed everything in her life that year. And thank God you did, my love.
Chelsae, you gained true consciousness this year. You woke up from the American dream that seemed so difficult to break free from at the time. You stopped listening to the expectations of the world around you and started listening to yourself. I know that was hard for you. I know you were scared, but I applaud you for trusting. I celebrate that you listened to your intuition. You listened to the guides of life, despite ego's fear coming into play. As soon as you let go of the control you had on life, you discovered that the purest beauty didn't lie in the external. You had it inside the entire time. You used to be so focused on making a difference in the world that you never stepped back to see the bigger picture.
You are about to learn the biggest lesson of all in life. You will allow it into your life when you are ready. It's something everyone goes through in their 20s, but something you have to figure out for yourself child. All I can say is, you are an oyster, sitting on beautiful gifts. Don't be shy in sharing those. And when you do, look back on this and smile, thankful for the journey, knowing I am with you in spirit as you discover.
Sending love,
96 Year Old Chelsae