Dear child of mine,

I know you’ve started reading my blog and so I’m here to leave you an open letter. (An open letter is a letter specifically addressed to one person, with the awareness that other people will read it. People usually write them to politicians and the like, but I am writing this to you to make you laugh. Here goes…)

You are incredible. I don’t think you know how incredible you are.

Here is a list of (some of) your superpowers:

1. The ability to know how people are feeling just by the slightest movement of their head, or the way they turned their body, the slight change in their tone or the way they walk into a room.
2. Your perseverance in the kitchen despite the fact that your cooking doesn’t turn out almost as often as it does. (This is a slightly backhanded compliment. It probably shouldn’t be number 2 on the list.)
3. The fact that you are only 12 but you know what a backhanded compliment is.
4. Your ability to spot what you’d call “a Karen” a mile away, and the way you suppress your rage at rude behaviour, even though you notice everything (see point 1.) For example, that time in Jacqui E, though I’ll try not to get you started.
5. Your determination to keep up with your friendships, even though it has been so darn hard lately.
6. Your humour, which makes me go weak with giggles, especially in Supre in the middle of very trying circumstances.
7. Your nurturing heart, especially for small children.
8. The way you can talk a sister out of a super tantrum even when I can’t.
9. Your mad graphic design skills. You are right- if you don’t finish high school, you can always fall back on that.
10. Your capacity to plan and execute an excellent birthday party. Not to budget, but still…

You are so brave, so beautiful, so clever and so kind. You make me so proud and I am so glad you are mine.

I’d like to go ahead and make the world smoother for you but I don’t know exactly how. I think we are going to have to figure it out together.

Here for you,

Crumb Bum (cringe)

p.s Maybe stop stealing my clothes.