I was wondering if I could share a letter written to my cousins and me from our grandfather. I received this letter I think on Saturday, but didn't notice it until yesterday when my parents mentioned it. So I opened it and read it. It means a lot to me that my grandfather would take time to write to us. So here is what he has to say:
Dear PJ, Emma, and Chelsea...
All three of you are in the midst of trying to figure out who you are and what you want to be. The Old Man from Arizona, aka Grandpa Ernie, has just a few words on that subject.
First, in choosing a major in college or a career field, you need to keep in mind, bad news maybe, that you will probably change careers a couple, three, or more times in your lifetime. The important thing right now is to get into something that will permit you to make enough money to survive on your own or with someone else once you get hooked up. For a lot of us, grandparents and parents, we spent a good part of our lives just making money for ourselves and family. So that is first priority.
Second, no matter what career, occupation, or job you get into, it is important to take pride in what you do. Let me tell you a story. When your Grandmother Cynthia and I bought a house in Littleton, Colorado, it had an unfinished basement. At that time the family consisted of Hilary, Lisa, and Bill. About a year after we bought the house, we wanted to get the basement finished. So I hired a guy to build a dividing wall. He put up 2x4s and then dry-walled. When I came home from work that night, he was just leaving. He stopped and came over to me. "Mr. Stech, you need to see the new wall." He took me down to the basement and had me sight down the wall to see how straight it was. Then he took my hand and ran it over the seams between the drywall sections. Absolutely smooth. "Isn't that great!" he said. Here was a person who took great pride in what he did and what he had done. That's important.
Third, I believe that everyone has a mission in life, sometimes called soul work. Unfortunately we don't all get to do our soul work in order to make money and survive. But you can always find ways to perform your mission in life evenings and weekends and during vacations. The trick to figuring out your soul work is to let it come to you. Actively thinking about it and seeking it don't work.
Fourth, there are a lot of ways to be successful. Success should never be measured by income or size of house or kind of car or any other material possession (particularly the number of electronic gadgets you own!). We own two houses in Arizona, both small. Several people have commented on how small they are. At first that bothered me but then I realized that they are perfect for us-and they allow us to have warm winters and cool summers with sunshine most of the time, winter and summer. Success can be in how you treat people and how they respond. It can be in the way you work, and the kinds of projects, programs, and outcomes you get. It can be the legacy you leave when you do things for people. For each of us there is a different way of being successful.
Finally, and I know this is silly and won't really make much difference to you right now, but don't get overly anxious about what you are going to be and do. It will come. Enjoy, as much as you can, where you are and with whom you are. And, by the way, old age is the best time of life!
Grandpa Ernie
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