To my Kindergartener....

✏️🍎 On your first day of ᴋɪɴᴅᴇʀɢᴀʀᴛᴇɴ 🍎✏️

It is hard to believe this day is finally here.

Today, you start a new 𝕒𝕕𝕧𝕖𝕟𝕥𝕦𝕣𝕖, one we have been preparing for, for what seems like forever.

We have talked about ᴋɪɴᴅᴇʀɢᴀʀᴛᴇɴ and all the 𝕔𝕠𝕠𝕝 things you’ll get to do, all the 𝕒𝕞𝕒𝕫𝕚𝕟𝕘 things you’ll learn, and the new 𝕗𝕣𝕚𝕖𝕟𝕕𝕤 you’ll make.

School starts now- and so do the 𝕗𝕣𝕚𝕖𝕟𝕕𝕤𝕙𝕚𝕡𝕤, 𝕙𝕠𝕞𝕖𝕨𝕠𝕣𝕜, and the 𝕝𝕠𝕟𝕘 𝕕𝕒𝕪𝕤 𝕠𝕦𝕥𝕤𝕚𝕕𝕖 𝕠𝕗 𝕠𝕦𝕣 𝕙𝕠𝕞𝕖. A 𝕨𝕠𝕟𝕕𝕖𝕣𝕗𝕦𝕝 world awaits you sweet boy, but this new 𝕓𝕖𝕘𝕚𝕟𝕟𝕚𝕟𝕘 also closes a chapter of the * 𝕓𝕒𝕓𝕪 * years. And boy does that makes my heart feel like it’s about to burst out of my chest.

𝔽𝕚𝕧𝕖 𝕪𝕖𝕒𝕣𝕤 doesn’t seem like that long ago- but when we look at all we have 𝕒𝕔𝕔𝕠𝕞𝕡𝕝𝕚𝕤𝕙𝕖𝕕, we’ve really done so very much together!

We have shared 𝕒𝕝𝕝 𝕪𝕠𝕦𝕣 𝕗𝕚𝕣𝕤𝕥𝕤. Your first 𝕘𝕚𝕘𝕘𝕝𝕖, your first 𝕤𝕥𝕖𝕡𝕤, your first 𝕨𝕠𝕣𝕕𝕤.. We also shared a lot of other firsts like 𝕕𝕚𝕒𝕡𝕖𝕣 𝕓𝕝𝕠𝕨𝕠𝕦𝕥𝕤, 𝕋𝕒𝕣𝕘𝕖𝕥𝕤 𝕥𝕒𝕟𝕥𝕣𝕦𝕞𝕤, 𝕣𝕖𝕗𝕦𝕤𝕒𝕝 𝕠𝕗 𝕟𝕒𝕡𝕤, 𝕞𝕠𝕞𝕞𝕪 𝕞𝕖𝕝𝕥𝕕𝕠𝕨𝕟𝕤… you know, all the “𝕗𝕦𝕟” firsts.

You taught me how to be a 𝕄𝕠𝕞𝕞𝕪.

You have taught me 𝕡𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕖𝕟𝕔𝕖, 𝕗𝕠𝕣𝕘𝕚𝕧𝕖𝕟𝕖𝕤𝕤, 𝕔𝕠𝕞𝕡𝕒𝕤𝕤𝕚𝕠𝕟, and 𝕙𝕠𝕟𝕖𝕤𝕥𝕪. You have taught me to not take life so seriously and that almost everything can be fixed with a 𝕙𝕦𝕘.

For the last 𝔽𝕚𝕧𝕖 𝕪𝕖𝕒𝕣𝕤, you and I have been 𝕥𝕙𝕚𝕔𝕜 𝕒𝕤 𝕥𝕙𝕚𝕖𝕧𝕖𝕤. Our days were always 𝕒𝕟 𝕒𝕕𝕧𝕖𝕟𝕥𝕦𝕣𝕖 and 𝕨𝕖 𝕖𝕩𝕡𝕝𝕠𝕣𝕖𝕕 𝕖𝕟𝕕𝕝𝕖𝕤𝕤𝕝𝕪, 𝕨𝕖 𝕥𝕒𝕝𝕜𝕖𝕕 (𝕒 𝕝𝕠𝕥), 𝕨𝕖 𝕝𝕒𝕦𝕘𝕙𝕖𝕕, 𝕔𝕣𝕚𝕖𝕕 and 𝕤𝕟𝕦𝕘𝕘𝕝𝕖𝕕. We made 𝕞𝕖𝕞𝕠𝕣𝕚𝕖𝕤 and experienced some of the most 𝕞𝕚𝕣𝕒𝕔𝕦𝕝𝕠𝕦𝕤 days, 𝕥𝕠𝕘𝕖𝕥𝕙𝕖𝕣. We 𝕤𝕦𝕣𝕧𝕚𝕧𝕖𝕕 pregnancy at 21. We 𝕝𝕚𝕧𝕖𝕕 through traumatic first moments of life and hard days of breastfeeding. You don’t remember it, but I worried for weeks about if you were eating enough and worried that your 𝕤𝕡𝕖𝕔𝕚𝕒𝕝 𝕙𝕖𝕒𝕣𝕥 would cause us to endure the hardest of hardships. We 𝕠𝕧𝕖𝕣𝕔𝕒𝕞𝕖 sleep deprivation and sleep training and the nights that you didn’t sleep at all. #ꜱʟᴇᴇᴘᴀʟʟᴅᴀʏᴀɴᴅᴘᴀʀᴛʏᴀʟʟɴɪɢʜᴛ

We 𝕘𝕣𝕖𝕨 too. I watched the growth cycles as you were in my belly, following by a big spurt upwards. And I grew into my role as a mother- 𝕘𝕣𝕠𝕨𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕝𝕖𝕤𝕤 𝕨𝕠𝕣𝕣𝕚𝕖𝕕 and 𝕞𝕠𝕣𝕖 𝕔𝕠𝕟𝕗𝕚𝕕𝕖𝕟𝕥 that while we might not know exactly what we are doing, we are going to 𝕨𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕚𝕥 𝕥𝕠𝕘𝕖𝕥𝕙𝕖𝕣- and 𝕘𝕖𝕥 𝕥𝕙𝕣𝕠𝕦𝕘𝕙 𝕚𝕥!

I have watched your 𝕚𝕞𝕒𝕘𝕚𝕟𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟 grow alongside your legs, and you have continuously 𝕞𝕒𝕕𝕖 𝕞𝕖 𝕡𝕣𝕠𝕦𝕕 to call you, my son!

I am going to miss having you at home. There is no denying that- I am used to being with you and your brother each and every day, and I would be lying if a part of me wasn’t devastated that there is going to be a huge void in missing you. But 𝕀 𝕜𝕟𝕠𝕨 𝕥𝕙𝕒𝕥 𝕪𝕠𝕦 𝕒𝕣𝕖 𝕣𝕖𝕒𝕕𝕪 and I cannot wait to hear all about it!!

These 𝔽𝕚𝕧𝕖 𝕪𝕖𝕒𝕣𝕤 have been filled with the 𝕙𝕚𝕘𝕙𝕖𝕤𝕥 𝕙𝕚𝕘𝕙𝕤 and some of the 𝕙𝕒𝕣𝕕𝕖𝕤𝕥 𝕝𝕠𝕨𝕤. And now, ᴋɪɴᴅᴇʀɢᴀʀᴛᴇɴ is here- all too soon.

ᴋɪɴᴅᴇʀɢᴀʀᴛᴇɴ is the starting point of your life beyond your family and that’s 𝕖𝕩𝕔𝕚𝕥𝕚𝕟𝕘 but oh so bittersweet, too. As you begin this journey, I have many 𝕙𝕠𝕡𝕖𝕤 and 𝕕𝕣𝕖𝕒𝕞𝕤 for you-

I hope that you learn about all the 𝕓𝕖𝕒𝕦𝕥𝕚𝕗𝕦𝕝 𝕡𝕖𝕠𝕡𝕝𝕖 in our diverse world, and that you 𝕞𝕒𝕜𝕖 𝕪𝕠𝕦𝕣 𝕞𝕒𝕣𝕜 𝕨𝕚𝕥𝕙𝕚𝕟 𝕚𝕥 (and I know you will!!). I hope you find friends who 𝕝𝕒𝕦𝕘𝕙 𝕒𝕥 𝕪𝕠𝕦𝕣 𝕛𝕠𝕜𝕖𝕤, let you in on their 𝕤𝕖𝕔𝕣𝕖𝕥𝕤 and invite you for 𝕡𝕝𝕒𝕪𝕕𝕒𝕥𝕖𝕤 and 𝕓𝕚𝕣𝕥𝕙𝕕𝕒𝕪 𝕡𝕒𝕣𝕥𝕚𝕖𝕤.. I hope that you learn that it’s 𝕞𝕠𝕣𝕖 𝕥𝕙𝕒𝕟 𝕠𝕜𝕒𝕪 𝕥𝕠 𝕗𝕒𝕚𝕝- ɪᴛ ᴍᴇᴀɴꜱ ʏᴏᴜ’ʀᴇ ᴘᴜꜱʜɪɴɢ ʏᴏᴜʀꜱᴇʟꜰ ᴛᴏ ʏᴏᴜʀ ʟɪᴍɪᴛ- and that you ᴅɪꜱᴄᴏᴠᴇʀ ɴᴇᴡ ɪɴꜱɪɢʜᴛꜱ ᴀʙᴏᴜᴛ ʏᴏᴜʀ ꜱᴇʟꜰ ᴀʟᴏɴɢ ᴛʜᴇ ᴡᴀʏ.. I hope you learn that 𝕥𝕙𝕖𝕣𝕖’𝕤 𝕟𝕠 𝕤𝕦𝕓𝕤𝕥𝕚𝕥𝕦𝕥𝕖 𝕗𝕠𝕣 𝕙𝕒𝕣𝕕 𝕨𝕠𝕣𝕜 and 𝕖𝕩𝕥𝕖𝕟𝕕𝕖𝕕 𝕖𝕗𝕗𝕠𝕣𝕥 even when every bone in your body wants to take the easy way out. I hope you also find ways to 𝕤𝕝𝕠𝕨 𝕕𝕠𝕨𝕟, 𝕦𝕟𝕡𝕝𝕦𝕘 and 𝕝𝕠𝕠𝕜 𝕨𝕚𝕥𝕙𝕚𝕟—𝕥𝕠 𝕡𝕣𝕒𝕪, 𝕥𝕠 𝕞𝕖𝕕𝕚𝕥𝕒𝕥𝕖, 𝕥𝕠 𝕔𝕠𝕟𝕥𝕖𝕞𝕡𝕝𝕒𝕥𝕖—in silence, especially as you grow up in a time of screens and media. I hope that when you find out about the very hard and painful things your family, your country, and your world have been through, that your heart is moved with 𝕖𝕞𝕡𝕒𝕥𝕙𝕪 and 𝕤𝕥𝕚𝕣𝕣𝕖𝕕 𝕥𝕠 𝕒𝕔𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟. I hope that you 𝕦𝕟𝕝𝕠𝕔𝕜 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕔𝕣𝕖𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕧𝕚𝕥𝕪 𝕚𝕟𝕤𝕚𝕕𝕖 𝕠𝕗 𝕪𝕠𝕦, and 𝕖𝕩𝕡𝕣𝕖𝕤𝕤 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕞𝕒𝕟𝕪 𝕗𝕒𝕔𝕖𝕥𝕤 𝕠𝕗 𝕪𝕠𝕦𝕣 𝕡𝕖𝕣𝕤𝕠𝕟𝕒𝕝𝕚𝕥𝕪 in artistic expression that speaks truth for you. I hope you 𝕕𝕠 𝕙𝕒𝕣𝕕 𝕥𝕙𝕚𝕟𝕘𝕤—𝕤𝕥𝕒𝕟𝕕 𝕦𝕡 𝕗𝕠𝕣 𝕠𝕥𝕙𝕖𝕣𝕤, 𝕒𝕝𝕨𝕒𝕪𝕤, 𝕘𝕠 𝕠𝕦𝕥 𝕠𝕗 𝕪𝕠𝕦𝕣 𝕨𝕒𝕪 𝕥𝕠 𝕓𝕖 𝕜𝕚𝕟𝕕, and 𝕒𝕝𝕨𝕒𝕪𝕤 𝕥𝕣𝕖𝕒𝕥 𝕠𝕥𝕙𝕖𝕣𝕤 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕨𝕒𝕪 𝕪𝕠𝕦 𝕨𝕒𝕟𝕥 𝕥𝕠 𝕓𝕖 𝕥𝕣𝕖𝕒𝕥𝕖𝕕- as you always do! I hope you enjoy the (mostly) innocent world of 𝕔𝕣𝕦𝕤𝕙𝕖𝕤 𝕒𝕟𝕕 𝕗𝕚𝕣𝕤𝕥 𝕗𝕖𝕖𝕝𝕚𝕟𝕘𝕤 𝕠𝕗 𝕝𝕚𝕜𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕤𝕠𝕞𝕖𝕠𝕟𝕖–𝕒 𝕝𝕠𝕥 (including that you are going to marry Eve because she’s nice). Those feelings of love and longing make the future seem 𝕞𝕒𝕘𝕚𝕔𝕒𝕝𝕝𝕪, 𝕨𝕠𝕟𝕕𝕖𝕣𝕗𝕦𝕝𝕝𝕪, 𝕗𝕦𝕝𝕝 𝕠𝕗 𝕡𝕠𝕤𝕤𝕚𝕓𝕚𝕝𝕚𝕥𝕪. And may someone sweetly crush on you, too. I hope you appreciate all the effort the adults in your life put into 𝕥𝕖𝕒𝕔𝕙𝕚𝕟𝕘, 𝕘𝕦𝕚𝕕𝕚𝕟𝕘, 𝕔𝕠𝕒𝕔𝕙𝕚𝕟𝕘, and 𝕤𝕦𝕡𝕡𝕠𝕣𝕥𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕪𝕠𝕦. (You probably won’t until you’re a parent like I am, and that’s okay too- it’s normal.) I hope that when you encounter a roadblock on your journey, you don’t see it as a reflection of your worth, but an 𝕠𝕡𝕡𝕠𝕣𝕥𝕦𝕟𝕚𝕥𝕪 𝕥𝕠 𝕥𝕣𝕪 and 𝕕𝕚𝕤𝕔𝕠𝕧𝕖𝕣 𝕤𝕠𝕞𝕖𝕥𝕙𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕟𝕖𝕨. I hope you see your siblings 𝕝𝕠𝕠𝕜𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕦𝕡 𝕥𝕠 𝕪𝕠𝕦 and 𝕣𝕖𝕒𝕔𝕙 𝕕𝕠𝕨𝕟 𝕥𝕠 𝕤𝕙𝕠𝕨 𝕥𝕙𝕖𝕞 𝕪𝕠𝕦 𝕔𝕒𝕣𝕖. They 𝕒𝕕𝕞𝕚𝕣𝕖 𝕪𝕠𝕦 and 𝕒𝕕𝕠𝕣𝕖 𝕪𝕠𝕦— don’t forget them as you launch into your own world. I hope and pray that home will 𝕒𝕝𝕨𝕒𝕪𝕤 𝕓𝕖 𝕪𝕠𝕦𝕣 𝕤𝕒𝕗𝕖 𝕡𝕝𝕒𝕔𝕖—and I will do 𝕖𝕧𝕖𝕣𝕪𝕥𝕙𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕀 𝕔𝕒𝕟 𝕥𝕠 𝕜𝕖𝕖𝕡 𝕚𝕥 𝕥𝕙𝕒𝕥 𝕨𝕒𝕪.

You are going to do AMAZING things! We are already 𝕊𝕆 𝕚𝕟𝕔𝕣𝕖𝕕𝕚𝕓𝕝𝕪 𝕡𝕣𝕠𝕦𝕕 𝕠𝕗 𝕪𝕠𝕦.

I pray that you have the 𝕘𝕣𝕖𝕒𝕥𝕖𝕤𝕥 𝕗𝕚𝕣𝕤𝕥 𝕕𝕒𝕪 of ᴋɪɴᴅᴇʀɢᴀʀᴛᴇɴ. I pray for 𝕤𝕥𝕣𝕖𝕟𝕘𝕥𝕙 for the both of us over the next year. I pray for your 𝕤𝕥𝕣𝕖𝕟𝕘𝕥𝕙 to be 𝕓𝕣𝕒𝕧𝕖. 𝕤𝕥𝕣𝕖𝕟𝕘𝕥𝕙 for new beginnings and 𝕤𝕥𝕣𝕖𝕟𝕘𝕥𝕙 to accept change. I know change is never easy but is almost always good!

I love you sweet boy!! You are going to do AMAZING in ᴋɪɴᴅᴇʀɢᴀʀᴛᴇɴ and I cannot wait to experience these “firsts” with you!

WE LOVE YOU!!