Dear
Harper,
In
exactly one week and 2 days, you will officially be a kindergartener. You probably don’t even realize your little
world is going to be turned upside down.
You poor thing. Let’s face it: you’re
the second born. We don’t have a “Countdown
to Kindergarten” posted. Mommy hasn’t
been obsessively quizzing you on letter sounds and sight words like I did to
your older sister (may God bless her little, anxiety-ridden soul). We don’t count every single step we take, but
somehow you still count to 60 and I haven’t the faintest idea how that happened. My mind knows that I should have done these
things, but…let’s call
a spade a spade. Mommy slacked
with you and I’m sort-of, kind-of, maybe a little bit sorry. But, not really. Because, I know that you my man, my little
dude that terrified us when we thought you would never hear, when we thought you
would never speak…you will be just fine.
I
know that starting kindergarten is not nearly as exciting as your new Lego
Batman t-shirt; and doesn’t even compare to your recent discovery that pterodactyls
are in fact reptiles and not dinosaurs.
But, to your mommy…this moment is the beginning. The beginning of the
ache. That feeling right under the left
side of my chest, right where my heart resides, that feeling that lets me know
you’re growing up. So before the lump in
my throat bursts, I’m here to present you with a list of advice as you
start this next adventure. Listen carefully. Remove my favorite smirk of yours
off your face. And try to be serious, if only for a second.
1.
When you think you’ve wiped “good
enough”, wipe again.
I’m coming out of the gates swinging with this
one, little dude. Seriously. Take that extra minute to grab another couple
squares and wipe, again. There is no
full-length mirror for you to bend over and check your bottom. Lord knows, your kindergarten teacher will
not wipe your hiney, so don’t even ask. You do not want your first nickname in school
to be “Skid Marks”. Wipe again.
2.
When it’s Rest Time, for the
love of God, REST.
Your
little brain has worked hard. Your
growing body is exhausted. You may not
know this and this may be a lot to take in, but you are in school all day this
year. Yes, all day. So, when the lights go
out and you put your little head on your towel, please close your eyes. You don’t have to fall asleep, but you do
have to shut your mouth. If not for you,
then be a champ and do it for your kindergarten teacher. She is dog-tired and daydreaming of wine and
bubble baths and door knobs that lock.
3.
Use all the crayons in the box.
I
know blue is your favorite color, but leaves aren’t blue. The sun isn’t blue.
If your teacher comments on how beautiful your blue sun is… tell her thank you,
but know that she is blatantly lying to you.
So, don’t be afraid to use all the colors in the crayon box. And remember, even the broken ones can make
beautiful things.
4.
Share. Share. Share.
Even
if you like it, it is not yours. If you saw it first, it is not yours. If it is in your hand, it is still not
yours. All the blocks do not belong to
you. The playground balls do not have
the name Harper written on them. You
want to make a friend? Share. You want
to keep a friend? Share. No one wants to play with a kid that doesn’t
share. But, please remember that the sharing
stops at lice.
5.
It’s ok to wear pink in Housekeeping.
Boys
can wear pink and boys can wear dresses.
Girls can wear blue and girls can wear ties. Kindergarten is the time to be who you are
and try out who you may be; and to not even think about that because you are
five and you’re just hoping to get through the day without skid marks. Wear the dress if you want. Wear pink.
If you don’t want to, no problem.
But, don’t you dare giggle at the one who does. However, if your teacher has anything
resembling a Steelers or Patriots uniform, know that it is not ok and there will be
consequences when you get home.
6.
Being headstrong is acceptable,
being a little asshole is not.
You
are indeed my son. We have a quasi-Napolean
complex and occasionally feel the need to exert our passionate opinions to compensate
for our vertical shortcomings. Pretty much, we've got the makings of a little asshole; but we can choose not to be. Harps, it's appropriate
to stand up for yourself. Assert your
feelings. Be resilient. Persevere.
Be determined. But, remember that
showing respect for and truly listening to the ideas and feelings of others is what will set your spirited self apart from the ones
that your teacher prays are absent the next day. So, don’t be a little asshole.
7.
It’s ok to not know. It’s not
ok to not try.
You
love all things awesome. But, awesome is
not always easy, my little dude. So,
try. Try, try, try. What if you fail? So, what. But, just maybe, what if you soar?
8.
Be kind.
This
one is simple. Give people that big, silly heart of yours. Be the reason someone smiles. Don’t wait for someone to be nice to you,
show them how. Every day. How you make others feel about themselves,
says a lot about you. So, be kind and you’ll
feel the sparkles for the rest of your life.
My last piece of advice my dear
Harper, is the one that gives me the feels.
That makes my heart spin and makes the ache swell at the same time. Number
9: Be you. Your story is just beginning. Some people wait their whole lives to be
themselves. Don’t. Don’t stop being you. The spirited kid. The ornery one. The lover of the ladies. The one who seeks adventure. The believer in magic and the believer in Bigfoot. The one who makes our hearts laugh and our hearts burst. My wild thing. You will meet people along the way that will
try to change you because they don’t know you.
Show them. Show them why the
world was waiting on a Harper.
You are so loved.
- Mommy
P.S - Number 10: Giving mom a hug is and will
always be totally, totally cool.
