I first met The Little Prince five years ago, and he still teaches me to this day. The title character in Antoine de Saint Exupery's The Little Prince has never let me forget what is important. He taught me that "only with the heart can one see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye." When the narrator and The Little Prince walked under the stars to well, The Little Prince showed me joy in the human spirit. When The Little Prince realized that he loved his rose, he showed me happiness. After he tamed the fox, The Little Prince showed me that friends are unique in all the world, and when you part from the ones you love you "run the risk of weeping." When The Little Prince had to begin his journey back to the star, he showed me sadness. I saw how beautiful innocence is, and how important it is not to worry about "matters of consequence." This is what grown-ups worry about.
Recently, he taught me the greatest lesson I could be taught in this transition period of my life. My life is on the verge of changing forever, and soon I will no longer be a child. I will have greater responsibilty and be forced to depend on myself. The choices I make in the future are mine alone, and I will have to make sure that they are good ones. The Little Prince told me that "there is not much time; there are friends to discover, and a great many things to understand." I will remember this and everything else he has said when I make the transition to college. Because of the Little Prince, I will remember what is important and try to make the best of myself. If there ever comes a time when I forget these things, I hope a Little Prince falls from the stars and reminds me that the eyes are blind; it's with the heart that one sees. |