Dear Elliot,
It’s late and you are asleep. You still look like a baby when you sleep. Yet you are so far from being a baby now. You are going on five years old and will start kindergarten in a few months. There is so much that I want to tell you.
Try not to grow up too fast. I know you are chomping at the bit to go to school. It’s all you ever talk about. “I’m almost big, Mama!” You tell me that everyday. You can’t wait to put on a school uniform and get on that school bus. You are my youngest. You have no idea how hard it will be for me to watch you ride away. I tear up just thinking about it. That bus will hold my baby, my only daughter.
Don’t worry about what people think about you. Be yourself. Don’t be bothered by negative remarks or if someone doesn’t want to be your friend. Give everyone a chance. They eventually come around. Let me know if someone is mistreating you, though. I will always help you against the meanies of the world. Stand up for yourself. Don’t be afraid to let people know they are making you miserable. I probably could have saved myself a lot of years of misery if I had learned that lesson early.
Don’t focus on the boys. They should be the last thing on your mind through college. I married your dad when I was close to 30. You have plenty of time to do all of that stuff. Focus on the friendships. They will last longer than crushes.
Don’t get discouraged. There will be rough days ahead for you. The world can seem to be against you at times. Remember how much you have to offer. Push on. While things might seem hard, you are being shaped into the person you need to be. There are going to be disappointments in your future, and Lord I wish I could stop them. What is going to make them better is how you handle them. Keep your grace with you. Rise above the nonsense.
When your brother started kindergarten a few years ago I handled it pretty well. I knew I had you at home, still a baby. I thought I had all of the time in the world with you. I was so wrong. Faster than I could imagine, you have grown up. We have been counting down to you starting school since you were born. Here we are … the summer before school.
No matter where you go in life, always know that your dad and I will be watching in awe of you. There will never be a moment where you will not have our support. I promise you as I watch you step out into the world that you aren’t alone.
I hope you understand what a big milestone this is for you. This is a milestone for all of us. Our Boo is really a big girl now.
All of my love,
Mom
