March 14th, 2011

Dear Benjamin,



When I graduated from the University of Michigan with a bachelors degree in chemistry, my graduate student mentor, Andrea Frost, gave me a coffee mug as a gift. It was a beautiful blue mug with the university seal engraved in it. I liked the mug very much and I always drank from it. I had it for over 10 years!



Just the other day I was telling your Grandma Gigi all about the mug, how I got it, and how much I treasured it. The very next day I broke it. Can you believe my luck? I was making tea in it. As I squeezed the extra tea from the tea bag, the string broke and my hand flew into the mug, knocking it to the ground. What a mess! The mug shattered, sending shards and hot tea across the floor. Gigi ran for the broom while I picked up the big pieces and mopped up the tea. I swept up the smaller pieces and within 5 minutes, when the whole mess was cleared, I began a new cup of tea. I felt a twinge of disappointment, but quickly decided not to let it upset me.

Why am I telling you this? The point is that things break. Don't put too much stock into things. It's okay to like something, but if it breaks, you'll do best to simply pick up the pieces and move on.



You are my real treasure,

Mom