Day 13 — Pick One Thing for Your Grandson

And write a letter to tell him why you picked it.

Dear Peter,

When you read the letter, I may have gone to the west world, or say, the heaven. I have led a great life. I have a happy family, a career not really smooth but fulfilling, many close friends, and traveling experiences around the world.

However, I wasn’t happy when I was young. My parents used to fight and quarrel. Your great grandma had to figure out a way to make ends meet. Comparing to other family members, we were relatively poor but yet she has never complained. I, feeling inferior, became the top achiever in my classroom while still feeling empty and fear in my heart.

It was at the age of 9 that I met this book, The Alchemist. The one sentence in this book is widely known in Taiwan. Though it sounded like cliche, I still firmly believe in it:

When you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it.

It seems to be super positive and similar to the idea in Chinese culture: Hsin Hsiang Shi Cheng. But remember what the writer Paulo Coelho said in this interview: the universe doesn’t “think”. It can’t distinguish good thought and bad thought. So if you have negative ideas or motivation, it will still lead you in that way. Therefore, be positive, be nice, be kind. Believe in yourself.

I love the whole book and the whole idea. It was because I bought in it that made me who I am today. I hope you will like it too. When you feel depressed, lost, or upset, open the book, read it for 5 minutes, and you will gain strength from it.

The “Wendy’s 642 Things to Write About “ project is a self writing plan based on 642 Things to Write About by the San Francisco Writers’ Grotto. If you are interested in this series, please clap or leave a comment. All the articles in this project is free. But if you want to read my own perspective or stories in my country, Taiwan, here are the latest ones: The Difficulties of Being a Taiwanese in 21th