Dear Asher,
North Aiken Elementary
Mrs. Wessinger
Tommy Whitfield
Sandra Fox
The Red Birds
So… you are not the only grandkid of mine in school but you are the first one to GO to school. And it sounds like you had a great year of kindergarten. First grade is fast approaching on the horizon. Those things I mentioned above are things I remember from my 1st grade class: School, teacher, friend, “girl”friend, reading group.
One thing that I would say is that your school has a much cooler name than my school. I love the name of your school – Voyager Academy. Perhaps you already know what the word “voyager” means but in case not here is a definition:
Voyager – “a person who makes a long journey to a distant or unknown place especially by ship or boat.”
People who go on voyages usually have new experiences, interesting adventures, and unexpected challenges. They will meet interesting people along the way. They will experience a wide range of emotions including fear, wonder, joy, excitement, panic, frustration, and sadness.
So even though you are not traveling by ship or boat you are on an awesome voyage as you navigate your way through school, relationships, jobs, following Jesus… and life.
Here are a few Pop Pop tips from someone who has been on a voyage or two in my 65 years on earth so far – and who continues to be a fellow voyager.
- Figure out where you are going but be prepared for the changes, challenges, and choices you will need to make along the way.
- Make the journey with people that you love. Shared experiences are so much more enjoyable than going it alone.
- There will be difficult times along the way. Lots of them. I promise! Embrace them. Learn from them. Let the difficult times cultivate within you a heart of gratitude as they make you so much more aware of the blessings in your life.
- Make sure that you enjoy at all times the nearness of God. You can only hear God’s voice when you are near to Him. You can only be comforted by His presence when you are near to Him. I’ve heard it said that if you find yourself far away from God, guess who moved?
- And my last tip is this: Call your Nona or Pop Pop at anytime from anywhere knowing that we will do whatever we can to help you on your voyage. Because we are, after all, fellow voyagers.
And never forget that you are very loved,
Pop Pop