Through our local library, my 10 year old {sidenote: she turned 10 this month and that's the first time I've typed it! I can't believe how fast they grow up} signed up to be a pen pal with someone at a local retirement home. It's kind of fun because not only do they write letters to each other, but they read the same book and talk about it in their letters too!She is very exited about this. She has a penpal that is her age and loves it, so I knew it would be a good fit to sign up for this. A few weeks ago she found out there was a match for her - she is writing a letter to Sister L. She was asked to write her first letter to introduce herself and yesterday she read it to me before we sent it in.
She started pretty much how I imagined she would ... Hello, I'm 10 years old. I have a brother and a sister ... but then she said in 2011 my mom was diagnosed with cancer. But she's in remission now and I'm happy about that. We went to Colorado for vacation in August.
Whoa. It felt like a punch in the gut. I don't know why. I mean, it's not a secret I had cancer. I don't care that she shared it. And it makes sense that she would because frankly, for some time there our whole lives revolved around my cancer. But still. To hear her say it. I couldn't help it. I started to cry. And then I felt like an idiot for crying about it. I don't know why other than I'm just so darn emotional these days. Or maybe I've just been so emotional forever but am just feeling it more these days?
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On a non-depressing note, I think this is a very cool program for my daughter to be participating in. I'm not sure who is more excited to read her first letter from Sister L =)
That's such a cool program :) And yeah, I get the crying. It's one thing for YOU to talk about it and know you've internalized it so much, but to see proof that your kids have, too... that's a different level of acceptance you need to work though, too. Maybe? I can't wait to hear how the program goes for her!
ReplyDeleteI get why you cried, too. It'd be hard to hear that one of the first things she defines herself with is being the daughter of a woman who had breast cancer. But it's not like it's something you DID, you know? And it's good to know that she CAN talk about it so freely. So you obviously did something right with that one, Brandie.
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