Sweet Dreams free essay sample

At the delicate age of four, I discovered that death was permanent. Thanks to the song â€Å"Puff the Magic Dragon,† I learned that â€Å"a dragon lives forever, but not so little boys.† At the time, I didnt realize that the little boy in the song didnt die – he simply grew up. I was deeply disturbed. For several nights I was unable to sleep, bombarded by thoughts of all the things I would miss if I died. Number one was George, my stuffed monkey and best friend. I assumed that stuffed animals, like dragons, lived forever, even when their human friends died. The thought of George alone in the world upset me enormously. A few years later, death became more than just a childish fear. On the night of Nov. 20, 1999, I lay on my living room floor doing my third-grade homework. My dad went into the bedroom to check on my mom and discovered she was not breathing. I told him that I missed those days too. Suddenly, I detected a small tear fall down his rough unshaven cheek. I grew concerned and asked him why he was crying. He assured me not to worry because he was crying tears of joy. I asked what was making him so happy. He told me that I reminded him of his youth and that he too was once full of an eagerness to learn and a love of all things new. My shrewd friend then whispered in my ear a statement that sent shivers down my spine. He said â€Å"A moment will be just a fleeting memory unless you make it unforgettable.† He taught me to live in the moment and that time is far too precious to simply throw away. This little old man continued to tell me that the world is full of new wonders to explore and inspiring new people to meet. He taught me to be curious and to ask questions, no matter how stupid they may sound. He advised me to try new flavors of ice cream, even if at first I don’t think I’ll like them. He reminded me to give the nerdy boy in school a chance because he will someday be the boss of all those overconfident jocks. He advised me to read any and all books, because you never know when knowledge of octopi or how to read a constellation may help you later in life. Most importantly, he told me to dream and to never stop dreaming. Unlike my aged companion, my future still awaits me. I will soon be bombarded with crucial decisions and overwhelmed by new thoughts and emotions. I will cry, I will fall in love, I may even learn something along the way. There is no doubt in my mind that I will strive to discover and never give up for I am aware that my dreams will carry me to the top.