Dear Hannah,
I can hardly believe that we’re moving you into college tomorrow.
Covid-19 may have delayed book releases and made your senior year “The One Where They Got Quarantined.” But don’t let masks and online classes put a damper on these next few weeks. Because you are embarking on an epic adventure.
Tomorrow isn’t the beginning of a new chapter in your life. It’s the first page in a new novel. We’ve had:
The Early Years: Which You Don’t Remember
The Preschool Years: When You Became a Big Sister
The Elementary Years: When Your Love of the Natural World Solidified
The Middle School Years: When Will They End?
High School Part I: The Tropical Island Edition
High School Part II: Home Again
And now, finally, the long awaited seventh novel:
The College Years: When You Come into Your Own
I know, new books in a series can make any avid reader a little wary. Will you like it as much as the last one? Will the protagonist finally realize . . . finally defeat . . . finally become . . .?
But there is also a natural excitement that comes with opening a new volume. Here are a few great things about starting the next novel in a series:
1. You already know the protagonist.
Protagonists will grow as they move through the novels in a series. But at their core, they’re the same amazing people they were in Book 1. They’ve just slowly and erratically become better versions of themselves.
2. Your favorite secondary characters are still around.
The protagonist’s family of blood and/or family of choice are still there. A new novel, even one where they aren’t center stage, doesn’t change the fact that those secondary characters will still show up when the protagonist needs them, bringing along the right words, homemade cookies, or an armed battalion as needed.
3. You get to experience new stories.
New novels mean new plots. Yes, there will be challenges and a few heartaches. But there will also be hilarity and the most amazing victories. Some of the best stories of my life happened in college. And I have no doubt that yours will be the same.
4. You meet new characters who change everything.
Some of the best friends I have ever had are people I met in college. Some were with me for a season, like my friend Alec, who taught me the difference between going through the motions and really living. Others are still with me today, like your father, the absolute love of my life. New characters will enrich your life and give your story new depth.
5. And most importantly, by now you trust the author.
The further you travel into a series of novels, the more you come to trust the author. I hope by now you know that you are in good hands. We live in a crazy world. But the author of your life has promised to never leave you or forsake you. He has come to give you life, and not just any life, but life to the full. The last chapter of the last book has already been written, the One Ring has been thrown into Mount Doom, the last horcrux has been destroyed, the final victory has been won. You don’t have to read the end first to make sure it turns out all right. You can relax and savor every chapter, every scene as you watch the protagonist come into her own.
Here’s to the The College Years.
Love You Always,
Mom