Dear Next Generation: Don’t Miss These Opportunities

Advice from our readers to young people. Photo by Shutterstock

Throughout my life, I have observed people I thought were often kind, gentle, and willing to smile at life as it speedily passes by, yet never criticize what they observed. I often thought what a wonderful way of living one’s life enjoying the things we see or the people we meet and yet not letting the negative affect our outlook on our own lifestyle.

If you can think of people who have made a tremendous effect on your personal life, either as a child growing up or as an adult, make these thoughts known to the person before time passes and they are gone. A missed opportunity will haunt you for the rest of your life.

In doing so, personal reward to yourselves is minimal compared to the joy and feeling of love you will see on the face of the recipient!

When I was growing up as a boy, I had a paper route and the last people on my route were an older childless couple. I would hang around and talk and watch him make things as he was a carpenter and even built his own house. I learned they were both raised under the shadow of the Ohio State horseshoe football stadium and were staunch supporters of Ohio State football teams. I loved Michigan football so discussions were often heated, in a friendly way, when Michigan and Ohio State played.

As I grew up and moved on, I would stop by sometimes and see how they were doing, as I felt very close to them. I sat down one day and wrote a letter to them telling them how I thought they were influential in my growing up since my father was not living with us.

I visited one day and took the letter to them, and when she read it, she cried and made me sign and date it. Never thought so much of it, but as time passed, I heard she had died. When I went to the funeral home, there on the pedestal next to the casket was my letter! He had laminated it and thought it was the best place for it.

As I walked out the door of the funeral home, I thought to myself, that letter probably meant so much to them since they had no children and that I maybe had become their foster child, just as they had become my foster parents.

I have written several letters since to both my uncles who were very influential in my growing up and to my best fishing and hunting buddy who has since passed away.

I guess my advice to give to the younger generation is never miss the opportunity to express to people the deep feelings of love and appreciation you have for them because that expression may be the one thing that person will cherish for the rest of their life.

All this may sound like an old sentimental busy body, but maybe this is what is lacking in our elected and unelected officials in Washington, D.C.

Roger Bogenschutz, Michigan

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What advice would you like to give to the younger generations?

We call on all of our readers to share the timeless values that define right and wrong and pass the torch, if you will, through your wisdom and hard-earned experience. We feel that the passing down of this wisdom has diminished over time and that only with a strong moral foundation can future generations thrive.

Send your advice, along with your full name, state, and contact information to [email protected] or mail it to: Next Generation, The Epoch Times, 229 W. 28th St., Floor 7, New York, NY 10001.