Category: Letters to my kids
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Dear Teenagers, Be patient while I let go…
To my teenagers, Be patient with me as I learn to let you go. I know it’s time. I know you’re growing and becoming and that sometimes it’s uncomfortable. Be patient with me because it’s not just you who is adjusting, my love. It’s me too. I know it’s hard to understand, but hear me out.
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Dear Kids, I can’t give you perfection, but I can give you this…
Dear Kids, I can’t give you perfection, but I can give you all of me, without holding anything back. I can give you my whole heart. I can let you see me laugh and cry and everything in between. I can admit when I’m wrong (even if it takes me awhile to realize sometimes).
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Being a mom is hard, and that’s okay.
Today I met some friends in town for coffee and shopping. I ended up bear hugging my four-year-old on a bench as she screamed and kicked in a level ninety-nine tantrum. A shop owner came out of a pottery store with wide eyes, but her face softened when she saw me. I’m so sorry I…
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Family is “supposed” to look just like this.
We are a family who loves each other. We love each other in a messy, beautiful, broken, and together way. Sometimes that means making messes in the kitchen with spaghetti sauce finger prints on the glasses and stains on the tablecloth. Sometimes it means trying to scrape together tiny remnants of sanity for bedtime routines.…
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Dear Kids, As you grow older…
Dear Kids, Right now as I watch you sleep, I lean in so close I can feel your breath against my cheek. I think about the good moments today. I think about you touching my arm and telling me a story about a slug that you found by the water. I grin to myself alone…
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Dear Middle-Child, You’re important…
Dear Middle-Child, Yesterday you asked me why your older brother always gets to choose. We were staying in a vacation rental and I’d given him the choice of beds since he’s the tallest and the most likely to be uncomfortable. “He’s always going to be older,” you said, “so he’s always going to choose.” You…
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Dear Strong Willed Child, You’re worth it…
Dear Strong Willed Child, Today we had many battles you and I. We had battles in the sun, battles in the sand, battles over popsicles, and a battle while I walked you screaming and kicking back to the house. You were red and fuming, I fought back tears. We’ve had thousands of battles you and…
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8 Things I Want my Daughter to Know
Dear Daughter, Look into my eyes and let me tell you, there are no limits. When I was young, I felt small in a large world. I was desperate to belong, so I tried to fit in. I tried to reduce myself to a puzzle piece in a giant picture. I tried to have straight edges…
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How motherhood has changed me.
I was twenty-one years old when I held my son for the first time. I hadn’t yet a enjoyed a single legal drink and my idea of cleaning house was to not to. He was red and wrinkly and his cry echoed down the hospital hallways. He was perfect. I looked into his wide eyes and…
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Dear Kids, When I fail…
Dear kids, Sometimes I wake up in the morning and I see that you’ve grown over night. Your face is more defined, your eyes look older. A part of me is excited and in awe; I know you have so much ahead of you. Another part is scared because time is racing and I can’t slow…