Due to the occasion of the start of the school year, I decided to write down in the form of a jumbled list what I felt during my son Pavlos’ high school graduation at the beginning of the summer. So, I attended his high school graduation, a commemoration of teenage life at the door of adulthood. On a hot summer evening, I swelled with pride and joy for the children/adults, and envied the temporary carelessness of the student years, which I remember, and they will live. Really, all post-adolescent kids were brimming with dreams and confidence. Many came up and made speeches, professors, former students now, and showy officials. The moms, not realizing what’s changing, not that they want to, continuing to carry the cardigans for their sprouts that would end their night at the club until dawn. I thought that if I were to say a couple of words, based on what I have experienced and read in life, to my son, his classmates and the holy Greek families gathered in the courtyard, they would be the following:

• Relief, degree, career, marriage, mortgage, and children are not the only path.
• Love is the greatest power on earth after habit.
• Stupidity, never mess with it, you will lose for sure.
• Whining is wasting time, a completely useless activity.
• Relationships are the most precious thing; we take care of them and value
  them. • What we have in life and can change is our existence, in society we help
  with it.
• We drink water, walk and aim to see the sunset every day.
• All years of life can be the best.
• We keep a diary. In whatever form we like. It’s something like a reckoning.
• Question and re-examine everything with critical thinking because the only truth
  is one, we only learn from mistakes, illusion that we are in control.
• We do not judge others, open and respectful of differences.
• We are grateful.
• We take risks, new opportunities and experiences.
• We experience and learn until our end, otherwise life has no meaning.
• It’s okay, it’s okay, the past is behind.
• We don’t run after needs that are created for us by others, we have our own
  desires and values.
• We all have many talents, discover them.
• Work is primarily a field of self-awareness.
• We work on something we love or even the next best thing to what we love
• Money can mostly get you material goods and obedience from people. The rest
  are almost free.
• Let’s not take our existence too seriously.
• Love and sex, discover them, enjoy them, without being captured.
• Self-respect, respect for others, kindness.
• Music, daily long trips.
• Travels. The only expense that makes you richer.
• Freedom, freedom from fear.
• Fear, stare him in the face to be afraid and run away.
• The gifts we give, we give them first for our soul.
• The most difficult thing in life is to rejoice in the joy of others, in the sadness of
  others, beyond sadness, you feel mostly relief.
• Find your desires and follow them, don’t do things you don’t want.
• Dreams so big that you don’t lose them when you chase them.
• The sofa has no wheels and will not take you anywhere, this is where anyone
  who turns gets stuck, smells, and this is where the discovery of the personal
  meaning of life finally emerges.
• Let go of life with your soul like water.
• Don’t fight the battles you know you will definitely lose.
• Roots, history, tradition, to go somewhere, you must know where you came
  from and where you are now.
• Don’t worry about things that change and things that don’t.
• Read books, I recommend in print.
• I fall – I get up, I never give up.
• Everything needs care, choose which one.
• Sex, no label on orientation, grouping without reason in this freedom.
• Time along with our existence is all we have on this planet, it is precious and
  cannot be stored, dispose of it wisely.
• Know the monster within you and tame it.
• Walk in nature, swim in the sea, we are part of them.
• Pauses and spaces, just as important as before and after.
• Imperfection is beauty.
• All in good measure – Less is more.
• Lots of fruits and vegetables, away from processed foods.
• Some dirt is needed.
• Live every day, is your whole life, tomorrow is tomorrow.
• Love and take care of yourself, if you don’t do it no one will do it for you.
• Responsible for your actions.
• Dignity.
• You keep changing, don’t get stuck, when you cross a river it’s never the same.
• The adaptive survive, not the most intelligent, not the strongest.
• People do not want anything to die because by their nature they do not accept
  the concept of death, while it is always next to them. Everything in life is born and
  dies, the circle closes and something new begins. It is progress to close open
  circles when you have reached the end by saying goodbye to the past and
  moving on to the next. When the end comes you give up. Accept its nature and
  live with purpose and authenticity during the time you are given.
• The list has gaps, fill it in……
  The above is food for thought, keep what works for you.
  Your dad,
  Note. Epictetus said: People are disturbed not by what is happening, but by their
  view of what is happening.