第539章（第1页）

youare163daysoldonthedateofthisnote。yourfatherandiareplanningtogivethistoyouwhenyouareseven，soyoucanreadonyourownwithfewerproblems。butyousee，i’vealreadyboughtthisbookandstartedimaginingtheday，justlikehowwelookforwardsto（whilealsonervousabout）everystageofyourlife。ifyou’rereadingthisonyourseventhbirthday，ormaybeafewyearslater（dependingonhowquickyoulearn），youshouldknowthatyourmomiswritingthis，bearinginmindwhatiwouldliketheseven-year-oldmyselftohearandholdfortheyearstocome。anditrustyoutobeaclevererboythanieverwas。

childhoodhasbeendistantforme，mybabyboy。itissomethingthatyouareluckytobeinrightnow。what’smorewonderfulisthatyoustillhavealongwaytogo。iknowyouwillsoonstartfeelingtheurgetogrowup，asididwheniwasatyourage。butifthereisonethingthatiwouldtellthelittlegirlioncewas，itwouldbetocherisheverythingyouhaveasachild，alongsideallyourimaginations。yourmom，nomatterhowboringilooknowadays，usedtolayonthegrass，stareattheclouds，andthinkabouttheconversationsheldbetweenthosewhitedogsandhorsesallthetime。ifyouwanttosharenewsaboutyourtoys，ormaybethefriendsthatnooneelsecansee，iwantyoutoknowthati’malwaysheretolisten。

thestoriesthatyouhavereadsofar，theydon’tjustcomeintheshapesofcolourfulimages。ofcourse，therearedancingdolls，singingflowersandchattyducks，fairiesinthewoodsandscaryevilsthatwillprobablygiveyousomenightmares（docometouswhenyoucan’tsleep，ok?butonlywhenyoureallycan’t）。asyouwouldhaveknownbynow，therearealsohorriblethingsthathappeninstories。therearebadguysandevenpeopledyingsometimes，justlikehowlifewillunravelinfrontofyou。

howdoidescribelife，mybelovedboy?idonotforonesecondassumethataboysensesthestrangenessoftheworldlessthanadultsdo。infact，ithinkthatwegrown-upssometimesseelessoftheworldbecausewehaveaccepteditjustalittlebittoomuch，henceceasingtoseehoworiginalitcanbe。whenitcomestothis，yourdadisoneofthebravestpersoni’veevermet。hechallengesmany，butalsoallowshisbelievestobechanged，andfightforwhat’sprovedmostrightintheend。itisavirtuethatyouwilllearntovalueasyougetolder。forthis，iforeverlovehimasmyhusband，asyourfather，andasmybestfriend。

yourgrandmotheroncewrotesomethingonthebackofabookformeaswell。shesaidthatamothershouldhaveexpectationsforthechildren，otherwiseshewillnotbeagoodparent。shecouldbestrictsometimes。iwishthatyouhadachancetomeether，butasitis，imissherstrictnessverymuch。youaretoolittleandtoopurelygorgeousformetoputdownanyexpectationnow。ifeelthatitisasintohopethatishouldmouldyouintosomethingparticular，especiallywhenilookatyourcuriouseyes。soithink，i’drathersharewithyouafewthingstoexpectandlookforinthefuture，nowthatyouaresevenandhavealreadysteppedintothefirstworldofyours—aschool。andasisaid，youdefinitelyhavethelookofanexplorer。

asyougrowup，myson，thingscangetalittle…confusing。iwishthesewon’thappentoyouoften，butsometimesyouwilllosethingsthatmakeyoufeelsafe，andpeoplewillleaveyouortreatyoubadlyfornoapparentreasonsatall。iwantyoutoremember，harry，thatthisisnotyourfault。momspentmostofmyteenyearsinaschool（thatyouwillprobablyjoininoneday），andi’veseen，eveninasupposedlyhomelyenvironment，eventsthatwereunpleasantandhappenedfornogoodcause。bothyourdadandihavebeenresponsibleforsomehurts…butthatisthething，myson。sometimesitisotherpeople’sdoing，sometimesyouhaveapartinitaswell（itrustyoutoknowwhattodowhenthatisthecase），andsometimesit’snobody’sblameatall。it’sjustpeopledon’tseethingsthesameway。however，thatisalsothewonderfulsideofhumans，becausewearesometimesalittle…silly。ifyou’rehonestenough，thatsillinesswillpushyoutolistentoothers，andindoingso，youwillfindfrictionsandbondsthataremoretruthfulthananythingelse。

youwillfindfriends，andgoodones。ihavenodoubtofthis，asyourfatherandiarebothblessedwithit。trustme，sometimesiamalittlejealousofyourgodfather，buthowmuchjoyandthesupporthebroughthim！thingsthaticannotanddonotintendtobetheonetoprovide。because，harry，friendsgiveyousomethingthatisalltoospecial。differentfromus，theywillaccompanyyouasyouworktofindoutwhoyouare，andstaywithyoufortheansweryougivetothat。theymayunderstandyoumuchbetterthanwedo，andforthatreason，holdontoyourgoodfriends，andtheywillgiveyoupowerinthetimeofneed。andthoughiknowthatyouwillbeastrongboy，donoteverthinkthatyouwillhavetodoeverythingalone。becautiousaboutwhoyouaregettingclosewith。onceyouknowyoucansparethemsometrust，leanonthemjustlikeyouwouldleanonus。

youwillfindsorrowsandangers，alongsidehappinessandfulfilments。theycomeside-by-side，sodon’tbescaredofany。sometimestheymaydriveyoutounwantedplaces，buttherearealwayssometruthsinthem。lifeisbornoutofwoundsandconflicts。thegalaxieswouldnotform，ifonestardoesnotcollideintoanother;flowerswouldn’tblossomifabranchdoesnotbreakthevain。staytruthfultoyourself，andlearnfromeverytearyoudropwhatitisthatyoutrulywant，andwhatitisthatyoufindright。thestoriesthatyouhaveread，samewithallthethingsyouwillhear，theyhavelessonstoteachus。rememberthemincaseofneed，buttoseewhichonesyouwanttosignyourlifewith，youneedonlytolookintoyourheart。