"Things I Didn't Know I Loved" by Nazim Hikmet

“I know we live slightly longer than a horse but not nearly as long as a crow

I know this has troubled people before

                                 And will trouble those after me

I know all this has been said a thousand times before

                                  And will be said after me”

At a young age we learn to respect and listen to our elders. It becomes natural, a no brainer. I remember being told that "your elders have the best wisdom because they have lived and experienced life.” They have loved, they have regretted, they have sacrificed, they have made mistakes, they have flourished. We only live one life, a certain amount of years, and everyone wants to live it to its fullest, and live it right. But there is no right way to live. My pappou, grandpa in Greek, told me this the other day. We were talking about college and what I want to pursue. He could tell I was troubled and stressed about balancing my studies, activities, family, and friends. He stopped me mid-sentence and told me to take a deep breath, that everything was going to be okay. I inhaled, then exhaled. I did this three times. Before I knew it, my stress level had decreased dramatically. My pappou then tilted my head up, looked me in the eye. He told me, “Life isn’t a bed of roses, but I know you will succeed in anything you do in life because I believe in you, you believe in you, and your family and friends believe in you. I have never seen you put less than 100% effort. And if you make a mistake, learn from it. You only have a certain amount of years to live, don’t waste them.” He repeated that last part again, “You only have a certain amount of years to live, don’t waste them.” This conversation seemed like one I would see in a movie because me and my pappou aren’t too close, but this was real and he was trying to help me live and love my life.

            This senior year was a roller coaster, I had my ups and my downs. I made mistakes, chose not to learn from them, and made the same ones several more times. I was getting to a low, and that is when I learned from my mistakes and began to change. It’s been two months now and now I truly understand what my pappou was telling me. “You only have a certain amount of years to live, don’t waste them.” I want to live my life to its fullest, without regrets. I want to take risks and challenge myself. I want to live a life full of happiness and love. I want to start appreciating even the trivial things in life. That simple thank you for dinner can be seen as a start. That extra effort to say hello or help a friend will only bring love and happiness to me. I want to live a life worth remembering. So, every day I am trying to live by my pappou’s wise words. I am trying to live my life, and not just go through the motions.