A MONTH ago, I received one of the most humbling private messages on Instagram. It was from my La Salle Green Hills brother, Andre. Andre and I go a long way back. We definitely were classmates at least once in grade school, maybe even more. I wouldn't consider us close friends, but we were cordial. And I remember him to be the one with the 'good' hand. His penmanship was the gold standard in grade school when we were trained to write in our school's official penmanship, which was called the Palmer method. I would always compare my grades with his during penmanship class, being the competitive person that I was and still am. Andre was one of the comic book guys at school, which was no surprise given his amazing talent for drawing. He has since built his own family and fondly calls it The Manchild

Family. He has a son, Axl, or Megatron, in Andre's multiverse. Axl is a bright and handsome young boy who recently just turned 6. Andre had this wonderful idea of collecting valuable advice in the form of a video from people in his circle to give to Megatron, I mean Axl, when he turns 18. And I was one of them. I was deeply touched, and it meant a lot. So, I thought of immortalizing my advice to Axl through writing and dedicating today's entry to him. I'm now exactly in my mid-40s and grateful to have experienced a lot in my life to value each day and live it fearlessly because I know that tomorrow is never promised. If there's one thing I would love for you to do, it is to find, welcome, and grow your talents. Don't be embarrassed about them; keep them buried somewhere until they've shrunk or wilted away. They are gifts from God. Use your talents to help others and to earn your keep, and you will never have to work a day in your life. Being a blessing to others will help you find the true meaning of happiness. Have a wonderful life, Axl!