Dear Maureen—though some call you Mo,

I am about to be sixty years older than the girl you are now.

I remember turning 18. You are soon to graduate from Archbishop Walsh Central Catholic High School. You cannot imagine friendships as close as the ones you know now. Your long-term plans stretch only as far as the days and weeks ahead. You are satisfied in knowing that you were going to college. You aren’t giving much thought as to what you might do after you graduate from Niagara. You are living in the moment.

And now I look back from that moment on. As I pause in recollection, I am not sure what advice I would have given you then. How should you manage the next six decades? What life will you have? But here goes.

You will make mistakes. A lot of them. Some will be acts of commission, others will be caused by not doing something you should. Try to learn from each of them and repeat as few as possible.

You will be hurt by people who call themselves your friends and hurt you anyway. You will learn to accept disappointment in others. Yet continue to trust in others.

There will be times when you wonder if love is meant for other people. Do not fear. The love of your life will find you and you will marry.

You will take chances on new careers. You will move to new places. You will do all of this without thinking it takes courage. Yet it does. You will not think of yourself as brave, but you are. You will take risks without recognizing them as risks. They will simply feel like the next logical step.

Most of them will be worth the effort.

You will see parts of the world that you never thought of exploring. You will meet people who open your heart and your mind. Many of them will call you ‘friend.’

You will cry. You will laugh. You will laugh more than you will cry—but cry anyway.

You will come to understand that a good life is not a perfect one.  And you will be right. Your life will be your own. Others might do it differently. And perhaps better. But you are okay.

You dance even when people are watching.

You remain curious about people and life.

You pray.

And one day, looking back, you will know that you have been blessed.

So, here’s to you and the path ahead. Enjoy the journey. Look for joy.

With love, gratitude, and hope.

You

(One final note on regret: do not buy the camel coat with the fur collar. It was too expensive and never looked good on. A waste of money.)