Family

Dear Brandon, On the afternoon of Eliza’s birthday, as I visited you and your girls in the delivery room, you made a request. You said, “Remind us in six weeks how excited we are right now.” I’m writing this for December 1t, when Eliza will be six weeks old. I suspect that the six-week mark won’t be as trying for you and Olivia as it was with Clive. Way back then, you were brand new parents, blindsided by exhaustion and adjustment. But I’d be happy to remind you of what I observed on October 20; just a little dose of that happiness will make up for sleep loss. Eliza’s tiny head, topped with dark, feather-like hair, fit in your hand. You cradled her carefully as she stuck out her strawberry-red tongue and made hungry noises. Her face was completely round: chubby cheeks and...

Dear Jaden, I know that having a seven-year age gap between us sometimes makes our relationship hard, but I hope you know how much I love you. I understand why you think all I do is constantly judge you and tell you what to do, but I truly only do it because I care about you so much. I don’t think I tell you enough how talented you are and how many great qualities you possess. You are so full of energy and able to make friends quickly because of your outgoing personality. The fact that you’re already a better skier than me, having only started two years ago, just shows how quickly you pick up new skills, which is something I’m extremely jealous of. You not only are talented, but you are also smart and loving. The fact that you’re already 13 scares me because it makes me realize how...

Dear daughter, I no longer see the mirror shelf lined up with your array of kaajal pencils. Your room stays unusually clean. We miss being constantly pestered. Those times when you drop by for a few days? They are the most terrible, because after you are gone we don’t even have the task of waiting for you on our minds. They say when your daughter is married you lose her to someone else. How is this any different? We barely get to see you or talk to you all that much, at least not like earlier days. I feel like we have already married you off to your independence. Although this sounds like complaining, I really am not complaining – because I was the one who always wanted you to have everything I didn’t. I wanted you to be armed for all battles that you may never have to face. I...

Dear Family, It seems like I can never catch a break. Everything I touch seems to crumble and I'm always trying to fix things but it always seems like everything just gets worse. Everyone expects so much out of me and they often forget I'm human too. While I understand it's common behavior to point out everyone else's flaws but your own, I just can't seem to get over how people treat me. I have one year left of my "teenage years" and I can honestly say I've wasted what was supposed to be "some of the greatest years of your life," doing nothing of what a typical teenager does. I've never even dated anyone because I've never had the time to and the thought of anyone meeting my family is just unfathomable. Most times, my family can be so judgmental and self-absorbed that I'm...