DEAR DAUGHTER

Dear daughter,

I'm sure you won't begrudge your father offering you a few well intentioned words of advice before you fly toward your new horizon at university.

First things first, I would like to remind you that I'm proud of you in much the same way as Zor-El is proud of his daughter Supergirl and sees her as a beacon of hope in an often dark and cruel world. I believe it is imperative for you to shine your light, as when it shines bright you're an inspiration to not only your family, your friends and the wider world but yourself. If my cosmic framing of your place in the universe here seems a little grandiose just remember I am a writer with an untethered imagination. I also believe we're all the heroes of our own stories if we choose to be and you are most definitely the heroine of yours. Of course, none of this is to say you should be complacent with my superhero analogy as there's plenty of work to be done and you're only just getting started.

Now I'm sure you'll find plenty of new friends at university (as much as you hate people repeatedly telling you this) and possibly find yourself with a few new adversaries also, and yet, even here, you must remember what your grandfather once told you - "we still have to save them." ;-) And save them you will with your unique powers of empathy, emotional intelligence and innate strength of character. As you know, your name derives from Greek origin and means 'defender of mankind' and so there is to be no shirking from your responsibility to protect everyone within your radius of influence on campus and beyond. Besides, the Bodhisattva vow is now a familial lineage which you are duty bound to honour, whether you like it or not.

Lead with courage and an open heart when required but give not so much away to others that you have not enough inner resources left for yourself to draw from. Remain curious at all times, as contrary to the consensus I believe it was not curiosity that killed the cat, but boredom, for boredom can represent stagnation where curiosity (even with its occasional risks) drives growth, learning and new experiences.

And finally, I'll be thinking of you this evening as you settle into your new accommodation and adapt to your new academic environment with all the excitement of embracing a new chapter in your book of life.

Now, fly high Supergirl and don't look down!

Digital Renegade (aka Dad aka Zor-El)

12th September, 2024