Advice (free write)

It was a beautiful night.

Time stood still as my eight-year-old self gazed in absolute wonder at the sight above me. Fragmented, muted pinpricks of light suspended impossibly on the infinite backdrop of the universe, my imagination affected only by the gentle kiss of the evening dew on my exposed neck. It was a special place, something my father and I shared, a secluded field in the bustling city of Riverside, California. Each night, he would stand beside me, hands gesticulating wildly as he told extravagant stories of heroes past, and his optimistic views of the future to come. “Life is precious,” he would always say, with a broken mixture of English and Mandarin, “cherish it, and never waste even a single moment.”

When I was two, my father dragged me, my mother, and our livelihoods across the Pacific in order to provide me with the life opportunities he never had. My father would be the first to admit that he regrets being passive in his early years, and has since instilled a sense of purpose within me at a young age. The weight of his advice never went unnoticed; in our sanctuary underneath the night sky, I could only imagine the pain and sacrifice he had to endure for my future.

I clearly remember my father’s selfless cries of joy on the day he first turned a profit. His current success in running his own business reminds me that, no matter how bleak a situation may seem, time management is absolutely crucial in overcoming adversity. This proved invaluable upon arriving in Canada at the age of eleven. Like my father many years ago, the world that I grew up in was reduced to no more than just a figment of my imagination in this alien country. Rather than dwelling on the past, however, I looked towards the future; my time was spent making new friends, setting new goals, and I flourished, my perspective on the world now encompassing twice that of before. On nights where my heartache grew too much to bear, I always found solace in the silent spectacle above me; I would always leave, elated, at the plethora of possibilities the future holds.

Upon my entrance to high school, my father’s advice developed into an insatiable craving to feed my burning curiosity. My mental horizons widened to magnitudes I never thought possible, as my interactions with different people helped develop my own individuality. Within this vibrant learning environment, I discovered the limitless wonder of the natural sciences, and delved further into my passion for the business world. Every single day, I feel a sense of purpose, whether it be to explore a new idea, or to simply write an email with the expectation that it will make someone smile. It is now where my father’s advice truly shone to me; my life, indeed my time, is the most valuable commodity I can ever have.

As the clock ticks towards my graduation of high school, and as my father draws closer to his retirement, I cherish every second I possess. The importance of his words is remembered by me each night: his greying hair and exhausted smile serve as a memento of the hardship he once endured. After each achievement or award I obtain, my father embraces me as I silently promise to make the most out of the opportunities he provided. I’m not sure how I can ever repay him: his advice, based on the lessons of his own failures, has played a fundamental role in shaping who I am today. The first chapter of my life is only just starting; my father’s blood and sweat have given me the paper and ink, but it’s my own responsibility to write my future.

Now on my midnight walks alone, feeling the weight of the entire universe upon me, I take a deep breath, tilt my head back, and smile – I know my time has only just begun…

…and that my life is limitless