Hi Tahlia

I know a very important date for you is fast approaching. Becoming a teenager is a big milestone in life. I tried to remember what it was like for me. To tell you the truth, it was such a long time ago and I do not remember a specific thing in particular but a combination of things. Times are different and life is a lot simpler in those days. Nobody has a cell phone of course and in those days, not every home has a landline either. Same thing for TV. Most of us have never been on an airplane at that age.
I think even though you and I live in very different environments, some things never change. I gained a lot of independence during those years as my parents allow me to do many things by myself like going out, going camping with my friends etc. This allows me to gain experience in many facets of life. I learn to manage my finances (I was given a weekly allowance), learn to make decisions and live with the consequences, learn to deal with uncertainties and also learn a lot more about myself as I gained confidence in making the right decision or lose confidence at times with a mistake. I felt it was a great time for me as I was bombarded with so much new experience. It is definitely a new chapter in my life and a very EXCITING one.
We go through different stages in our life. Grandpa and Grandma are entering our phase of Retirement just as you are entering your phase of the beginning of your Formative Years. I remember before my teenage years, almost all decisions were made for me because I was so young and my parents wanted to protect me. As I enter my teenage years, they began to let go and let me start to experience life on my own to a degree. I really appreciate that and I felt it was the primary reason I was able to come to Canada for school by myself without much anxiety.
It was during these teenage years that I really learnt about myself as I asked myself questions such as : what do I want to do in life, where do I want to go to university, what subject or major should I study, what music do I like etc etc. Internet was not available in my days and my information access mainly came from newspaper, radio and to a certain degree TV (TV programs typically begin in mid-afternoon and end at midnight) so it was very different than today where we are easily overloaded in information. I did a fair bit of reading and thinking and tired to come up with some conclusions and looking back, I can say some were excellent, some were bad and some were very naive. To me, it’s not whether I made the right or wrong decision that was important but learning and relearning the process of thinking it through as the most important benefit. This is the process of gaining maturity.
Your mom asked me to tell you specific things and honestly, I don’t remember anything in particular but I do remember a whole lot about the things I talked above in generality.
I wish I could be there with you during your birthday celebration. Grandpa and grandma really want to be closer with you and be part of your daily life more often but unfortunately, we live so far apart. I hope when I see you next time that my mandarin and your english would be better and we can engage in more Grandpa and Granddaughter conversations among ourselves.

I miss you and hope to see you real soon.

Grandpa Tony