Dear Jay and Liam,

This letter to both of you will stand the test of time – literally.

Our life together has been so much fun, we have been through the lows and we have celebrated the highs. I love my life with you both; you energise me, keep me young, you both fill my world with joy and laughter.

Today you are both adults, on that precipice of life that is filled with adventure, travel, great friends and experiences that will last a lifetime.

I often wonder what the future will hold for you and whether I have done enough as your mum to pave a path that leads to the success you each desire. I remember sitting on my bed, staring out the window watching the ocean in Fiji and wondering what my future would hold, and today I do the same for you.

Your great grandfather Patan was a slave from a young age. His journey to freedom and independence was not an easy one, and this seems to be the nature of what migrants endure in countries we choose to make our home. No journey to success is ever easy. The lesson I have learnt, however, is that you must be true to yourself, always. My dad once said to me that if you do the right thing by yourself, you will always do the right thing by others. I call this ‘equal firsts’. This is not an easy path to take, as society, cultural norms, expectations from family, friends, partners, children, and the ones you put on yourself, may see you putting yourself last.

Never stop dreaming, it is what will fuel your adventures in life; remove people from your lives who are the dream-takers. You will have days where you feel on top of the world, amazing, incredible, unstoppable, and then days that will simply bring you to your knees. It will become hard to breathe and you won’t be able to see the solution. Understand that this is normal, you will get through the good and bad times, you will wake up the next morning and life will go on. The human spirit is truly incredible.

A life lesson I have learned the hard way is around happiness. It is a choice and it lies within you. Happiness is not a destination. You will choose whether to be happy or not. You will choose to have people in your life who make you happy or not. When I am not here and you find yourself in a place that isn’t making you happy, understand that it will be your choice to stay there or to move on.

Remember you don’t always have to do things the same way they have always been done. Pave your own path and do what works for you – be different! Do everything with integrity and compassion, without this you have nothing.

Most importantly we have been privileged to have the life we do. Both of you need to ensure that as you make choices in your life to lead you to the success you desire, you must at the same time provide for others who cannot provide for themselves.

This is what fills your soul with joy, this is what enables you to get through your darkest days. When you have the blessings of many, you are unbreakable.

Each of us must aspire to make a difference, that is our legacy to this country that gave our families these incredible opportunities.

Be kind to yourself, tap into the spirit of your forefathers, of me. Be bold, be daring, be audacious, take on life and live it to its fullest. Know that I am proud of both of you for who you are, and my love for you both is endless. You are my favourite daughter and son J.

~	Cherish yourself, give yourself permission to fly and stay connected to this earth
~	Listen to your inner voice, when you have doubt, stay still until you have the answers
~	Heed the whispers of life, learn the lessons, live in the present, plan for your future
~	The joy of laughter, fun, dance and song must always be part of your life
~	Stand for things that are bigger than yourself
~	Have a heart full of grace and a soul generated by love
~	Be remembered for making a difference

– Sadhana Smiles