Looking Forward by Looking Back

"Life can only be understood backwards, but it must be lived forwards."

- Søren Kierkegaard

"You can't connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards."

- Steve Jobs

It has been said by very wise and accomplished men, that life can only be understood looking back, but must be lived looking forward. This can of course make life very difficult at times. Seems like the Big Guy should have designed it the other way around.

But, wait. Maybe he did. He just did it in more hidden way - by writing a letter to your grandchildren. What if a person who has lived through the many of the challenges of life were to write down all their lessons learned and then pass all those stories and wisdom down to a grandchild before the grandchild was going to face them? That way a young person could look forward with all the wisdom of looking back that had been lovingly written down for them.

That would work!

If only the grandparent would write such a letter and the grandchild would read and use that wisdom in that letter.

If only.