An Essay I Wrote at Age Twelve
"Hopes for My Life and World"
First off I think I should get a job, nothing drastic, maybe something like a waitress for a restaurant. I do think this is important during my teen years because I don't think I should depend entirely upon my parents and I don't think they would want me to either.
Also while I'm young I would like to have some of my writing published and if I'm lucky I'll make a little money off of that.
One of my greatest hopes is to become a professional pianist. I have always loved music and it is very enjoyable for me to play. I would also like to learn to play the violin.
I do plan on getting married. I'm willing to wait for the perfect time because I would never rush into a life long disision [sic] such as marriage.
I also want a house if I have to get a small one at first it doesn't matter I will take it step by step.
After I'm married I would like to have children, the number doesn't matter I have always loved children and I wouldn't mind having them.
Maybe in my free time I would like to teach piano lessons, because I like to teach and I love the piano.
I want to travel very much, although if I ever do it, it will probubly [sic] be when my kids are grown and married. The place I want to go to the most is Vienne [sic] Austria.
I know that while I grow and change the world is growing and changing too. I hope these changes will be good. That young people would not be influenced by evil. That the leaders of the countries would be strong in good beliefs, and the people would learn to be more mercyful [sic] and understanding.
A Letter to My Twelve Year Old Self (at age 36)
Dear Twelve Year Old Self,
You will get a job, when you are fourteen. Your mother will take you to get a worker's permit and you will wash heaps and heaps of dishes at your uncle's food commissary. You will work many hours in the summer. You will enjoy being in the midst of your aunt and uncles who work there too. Eventually, your grandmother will teach you how to mix the spices for the secret recipes.
You will have some of your writing published, but that won't happen until you are nineteen, after you have traveled abroad three times (on your hard earned dollars from the commissary and love gifts from friends and family). You will be commissioned to write a book of moral lessons for a children's ministry. You will be given a check for $250. You will take the check to the commissary office and have a copy made for a keepsake because it means you are officially a writer.
You will read a short article about Eliza Lucas Pinckney and you will become intrigued. You will begin to compile research on her. Soon you will have amassed so much material that you will decide to go to college to see if someone there can help you figure out what to do with it all. Besides you will be feeling lonely for other people to discuss your passions with. You will find out however, that most other people are not there for the same reasons you are.
Unfortunately, you will always be too introverted to play the piano much in public, but that will cease to bother you over time. Many of your piano students will perform however. One of them will go on to study at a conservatory of music after learning the basics from you. He will honor you in his final recital along with his master instructor. He will say something like "you introduced me to the love of piano". He will major in "public performance" in college.
The desire to play the violin is just a passing fancy. You will hardly ever think of it again.
You will meet a cowboy.
At first you won't be interested in him, but over time he will begin to win your heart with his honesty and integrity. One special Valentine's Day, he will give you your first kiss on a red sofa, a moment after your grandmother steps out of the room.
You will get married.
Many of your piano students will come to your wedding. You will insist that a piano be placed in the middle of the reception hall so that your students can play their favorite music for the wedding guests.You will live with your husband -- first in a basement apartment, then a small farm house. At last you live in the house of your dreams, where you hope to grow old.
Six weeks after you are married, you will find out you are pregnant. You will take a long walk and pray a long prayer of thankfulness for this news. You will know deep inside that you are embarking upon the most important work you will ever do: mothering. On this walk you will ask God to give you five children in ten years.
And He will.
After you give birth to your fifth baby, you will take another long walk. You will say another long prayer of thanksgiving. You will call that day, "The First Day of the Rest of My Life".
- This is a beautiful post. Thanks for sharing your 12 year old heart, and your 36 year old heart-with your dreams worked out.ReplyDelete
Linking up from MMD. -
AnonymousAugust 10, 2012 5:49 AMBeautiful essay, beautiful response. I am blessed to have seen these hopes for your life, if not for your world, become reality. Thanks for posting this. JeniReplyDelete
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I would like to introduce everyone to my dear friend Jeni, whom you can see zipping up my wedding dress in the above photo. I met her the year after I wrote "Hopes for My Life and World". She took me under her wing and taught me how to survive private school. I recently enjoyed some time with her a few weeks ago when she was visiting the States from her home in Europe. She gave me the flowers which I used for my post "Spend Out".Delete
Love you Jeni. (Did you noticed I used the word "whom", both in this comment & in my recent Classical Quest post? I told you I wouldn't forget! That's 2 points now.) -
AnonymousAugust 12, 2012 4:21 AMThanks, Adriana! I can always count on you to make me smile. I thank God for allowing our paths to not just cross, but for them to be parallel at times. As a missionary kid adjusting to American life and trying (in vain) to be cool and fit in, being with you gave me such a different perspective on life. Thank you for being original and true to yourself. BTW, I am anonymous because I don't know how to just post my name.Delete
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Wow, I do not even remember one assignment from 6th grade. Love your reply and learning a bit more about you.ReplyDelete
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Sandy B.August 10, 2012 9:43 AMI loved reading this. So beautifully done. : ) I must say, you were a wise 12-year-old!ReplyDelete
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Truly touching. Although maybe your 12-year-old self doesn't need a reminder of the errors in her essay--I would imagine the teacher took care of that. ;)ReplyDelete
Came over from MMD. Really enjoyed this; thank you.
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Quite graciously, my teacher, Mrs. Jones, did not correct any errors for this one. She just put one small check mark at the top of the page: assignment complete.Delete
I just realized -- with a chill -- she might have DRASTICALLY ALTERED THE COURSE OF MY LIFE if she had cut loose and splattered the whole thing with red ink! I'm sure the paper would have ended up crumpled in the trash can and long forgotten! I'm glad you commented on this because you've prompted me to try to find her. I think she would like to know the long term outcome of her assignment!
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Oh my word, that was beautiful Adriana. Adding the detail that the couch was red was a perfect touch, so deft. And 5 kids in 10 years? Gutsy prayer! What blessings God has brought you.ReplyDelete
Tim
P.S. New guest post up at Laura's Enough Light blog. (Linked it through my name above.) Hope you get a chance to take a look. -
AnonymousAugust 10, 2012 12:51 PMThis just gives me chills. Thanks for sharing! Bonnie LinkReplyDelete
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Thank you all for your kind words. A few days ago, I was fretting b/c I wanted to participate in Anne's blog carnival but I found myself with very little time to retrace my life story. Suddenly I realized half the post had already been written 24yrs. ago! Whew! The rest fell into place in less than an hour! My kids enjoyed digging into old photos with me. :)ReplyDelete
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Very beautiful, Adriana. Thank you for sharing. Your honest prayers and hopes as you began your marriage are encouraging to me as I begin mine.ReplyDelete
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How lovely, Adriana. :-) Truly amazing that you had these dreams of yours to look back on and delight in. How FUN to see your deepest dreams come true. Love it. :-)ReplyDelete
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Oh, thank you so much for stopping by my blog and letting me know about this beautiful life-story filled post, Adriana! I had no clue that a little blog post of my own would, a year later nonetheless, spark the idea for you to share your beautiful story with us all in the blogosphere.ReplyDelete
Much love and more beautiful life to you,
Sarah Elizabeth
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:) Sarah -- I told you I would let you know when I wrote the post -- though I didn't imagine it would take over a year for me to get around to it! (My old blog was Live Laugh Love Learn.) You were so sweet and encouraging when I first started blogging and of course I couldn't forget that!Delete
Blessings:)
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Beautiful
ReplyDeleteAs December 12, 2012
DeleteThere's something really weird happening with your comment box, Adriana...at least for me. :(
Anyway, want to say how lovely this post is! Your twelve year old self sounds so mature. And I'm glad your prayers were answered (five children -- wow!) May God continue to bless you and your family. And thanks so much for sharing. :)
Risa & Jo -- Thank you for being persistent! I'm glad your comments showed up!
DeleteI copied this entire post (including the comments) from my archived blog. That may explain why things are not behaving quite as they should!
Take care, friends. :)