A message for you (the adult reads it out loud)

Hi. I want to tell you something from when I was your age.

I loved soccer. It was my favorite thing in the whole world! But at home there wasn't money for new soccer boots. I played in old, ugly ones, and my classmates had the nicest ones. The little green bug bit me. A lot.

And do you know what happened? I kept playing in my old boots. And I had so much fun. Today I don't remember the boots. I remember the games with my friends.

My family taught me something I want to give you: everyone has their own path. What someone else has doesn't take away what's yours.

The little green bug bites all of us, kids and grown-ups. But now you know what to do: breathe, name it and say “congratulations!”. Being happy for your friends feels really, really good.

And remember: the most important things can't be bought. They're playing, laughing and being with the people you love.

With love,
the one who wrote this route

Let me tell you something about me.

When I was your age, or a little younger, the only thing I cared about was soccer. But at home there wasn't enough money for good soccer boots. I played in old, ugly ones while my classmates showed off the best. It hurt a lot. It was envy, even if I didn't know to call it that.

Over time I understood we just couldn't afford it, and even so I enjoyed that time like few others. Today I don't remember the boots. I remember the games.

As an adult, envy came back. I saw others get opportunities I wanted, and comparison made me feel I wasn't moving forward, that I wasn't capable. It took me a while to understand what my family kept telling me: every person lives a different story, at a different moment. Comparing yourself to someone else is measuring your chapter three against someone else's chapter twenty.

It's normal to feel envy. We all feel it, since we're kids. What matters is what you do with it. Being truly happy for a friend feels much better than it seems. Wishing them well takes nothing from you.

And something that took me years to learn: often, what we envied so much isn't what we expected when it finally arrives. What matters is in the simple things: a game in old boots, your friends, your family. Value it now, while you have it.

With love,
the one who wrote this route

Before you close this route, I want to tell you something about me.

In my childhood, the only thing I cared about was soccer. I thought about it all day. But at home there wasn't enough money for good soccer boots, and I played in old, ugly ones while my classmates showed off the best. It hurt a lot. It was envy, even if I didn't know to call it that. Over time I understood we just couldn't afford it, and even so I enjoyed that time like few others. Today I don't remember the boots. I remember the games.

As an adult, envy came back with a different face. At work I saw many people get the opportunities I wanted: more stable jobs, better places, doors that didn't open for me. Some, I thought, with less preparation. Years went by like that. And comparison slowly took something from me that you can't see: it made me feel I wasn't moving forward, that I had failed, that I had a ceiling. I came to believe I wasn't capable of getting what I wanted.

Today I understand things I didn't before. My family taught me with patience: every person lives a different story, with different conditions and at different moments. Comparing yourself to someone else is like measuring your chapter three against someone else's chapter twenty. Things come in their own time, when you do your part and do it well. And material things weigh little when you're at peace. I'm still on the way, and I know something good is coming.

So, now that you're finishing, I'll tell you this:

It's normal to feel envy. We all feel it, since we're children. It doesn't make you a worse person. What matters is what you do with it: listen to it, understand what it's telling you and don't let it stop you.

Being truly glad for others is one of the most satisfying things there is. Wishing someone well takes nothing from you. It sets you free.

And one last thing. Often, when what we envied so much finally arrives, we find it wasn't what we expected. That what mattered was in the simple things: a game in old boots, a dinner with your people, a quiet day. Learn to value what you already have, while you have it.

With love,
the one who wrote this route