Twenty-Three

Today, I got a letter in the mail. I never get letters from anyone. I opened it up, not knowing that what was inside, would completely ruin my life. 

Dear Nathan, 

         I have written you this letter in hopes that I may somehow help you. Help you to see the beauty in life. Help you to see that everything has some form of purpose. Help you, to help others. You see, I have a disease called Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma. It is a very rare form of cancer, usually found in children under the age of ten. I have been told that I will be dead in less than six months. My name is Michelle Hampton, and I am twenty-three years old. 

        I know that we do not know each other, nor will we ever meet. But, I have read all three of your books. My favorite being "How Old Is Forever." I am writing you from my home in Huntsville, Ontario. From the same bed where, in a few months, I will take my last breath. I want you to know that even though I am only twenty-three, I have lived a full and joyous life. I'm not sure how to start this letter, so I will start by saying that we are all headed towards the same thing. Death is the only part of life that, in some way, we will ALL experience. It is the only thing that we all have in common. I do not know what happens when we die. I would like to think that it will be the most beautiful and breath-taking phenomenon that we will ever experience. I would also like to think that I will again, at some point, see everyone that I have loved. I do not know if there is a God, or if there is, if he truly does love us. Sometimes it's hard to believe that a loving God would let us suffer in ways that I am suffering right now. But if he is there, he sure did create an amazing place for us to live.

        The world is full of beauty and wonder. Sometimes I feel that we as humans have misunderstood the meaning of life. That we also miss out on so many wondrous things. Were we meant to work in an office building five days a week? Were we meant to get married and live under the same roof for thirty or more years? If so, than why? I feel as though we were not meant for this, but for something greater. As cliche as it sounds, we were all made to do something amazing. Such things as cell phones, the internet, and social networks only hinder us from truly living. From doing these amazing things that could be in store for us. I am only twenty-three years old, and I am ashamed of my generation. I am ashamed of my people. I am ashamed of my world. We have failed. Failed to care for one another in the right way. Failed to care for this world in the right way. We are a selfish bunch, a selfish race. But we cannot let this stop us from trying. We must try our hardest to fight for each other, to fight for those who will never be able to fight for themselves. 

       This letter is going to be a short one, I am getting too tired to continue. I just want you to know, that you must live to the fullest, you must experience as much of the world as you can while you are still alive. I am twenty-three years old, and I have lived a full and joyous life. I can only hope that when the time comes for you to venture from this world, that you will also be able to say the same thing.

                                                                                                             Sincerely, 

                                                                                                                  Michelle Hampton

Ps.  I had my mother send this letter to you after my funeral. You will not be able to find me, for I am no longer here.