So many years have passed since then - I have understood a lot, rethought things, and changed my attitude toward certain matters. Yes, I will be honest - life is no longer as vibrant as it once was, and the spark in my eyes has faded. If these symptoms sound familiar, you are likely well over 40. You know, friends, and that is absolutely normal. Time mercilessly takes away our energy, beauty, cloud-like dreams, and all those playful infatuations. But we are not left with nothing; time knows how to give back in exchange for what it takes. It gives something else 'valuable' - the opportunity to observe, to nurture, to pass on experience, and to love immeasurably. It is love that passes through all facets, dimensions, through everything living and non-living, and never succumbs to evolution. But that is a completely different story.

I gave birth to her when I was 21. A classic story - in the eyes of my little girl, I saw the light of the meaning of life and loved her more than anything in the world. Maternal love brought much pain and at the same time made me the happiest. I was ready then and am ready now to give my daughter everything she wishes for. Fortunately, the times are such that everything is accessible. I, of course, went through the era of the information revolution and the development of the internet phenomenon, but what is happening now surprises me no less.

Now, nothing remains of that sweet little girl with tiny hands - before me is a noble 25-year-old woman. When she turned 18, she left to study in another city, just as I once did. We only saw each other in Maxx. A device that allowed us to communicate holographically, almost tactilely across the distance. In my time, we were happy with Skype, its predecessor.

At that young age, my daughter reminded me of myself in many ways - restless and curious. But still, there was one significant difference - her heart was filled with compassion for others; she felt her connection to the world more subtly, she was one with it. And there is a whole generation of young people like her. A generation of altruists. It is shameful. In my youth, I succumbed to the general influence of the system of ego-values, individualism, 'living for myself,' and so on.

And then, one day, there was too little room in her heart for her worries. She knew that the planet was experiencing certain environmental difficulties and could not sit still. We talked a lot, I listened to her carefully, she would not let up and brought up this topic again and again. At that moment, I clearly realized that this was my chance to do something truly useful, something I had never dared to do, even if it was through the hands of my daughter.

And I remembered them. Once upon a time, they gave me the opportunity to fly to the USA, once upon a time they helped many people do it. And who knew that it was only the first step on the path to the greatest feats. When my daughter was 18, the Work and Travel exchange program made a legendary decision in its history - it entered into a permanent partnership with nature conservation organizations. W&T channeled its popularity among students in the right direction, thereby spreading one simple idea - it is time to save the Earth from pollution.

My daughter insisted, and for a long time, I could not bring myself to do it. She spoke beautifully and convincingly, but I was afraid to send her so far away for so long. But I had to understand, if not her, then who? The decision was made in her favor, not without my tears, of course.

My girl became one of the first volunteers of the program to go and heal the waters of the Pacific Ocean. In the first 2 years, they managed to rid the ocean of several tons of plastic. To this day, the program has been successfully achieving its goals for 7 years. My adult daughter still works for the benefit of the organization and trains newcomers. And I am quietly and peacefully moving toward the middle of my years, watching the feats of my child.

She was only 18 years old back in 2039.