Nine Years Old

Dear Abe,

What's up? This is the first-ever letter I have written to you that you can actually read yourself. That is pretty cool. You are so old. And big. For posterity's purpose, let me just state that you are not yet taller than me (do you know what posterity means? Probably), and your shoes are so giant that it made me gasp when I saw them for the first time.

Since you are actually going to read this as a nine year old, I thought it would be most useful to you if I actually gave you some advice, instead of reflect on what you already know. You don't really need me to tell you that you are totally into Minecraft and watching some weirdo British dude on YouTube play Minecraft. I usually do not like giving people advice, but since you are my son and I know you very well, I think I can get away with it this time. Plus, I'm very old and was once nine. So what if I made poor fashion choices back then? That is not the point.

So, here are some things I want you to know. Please believe me with this stuff.

Don't worry about a thing. Cause every little thing, is gonna be all right. So, technically, Bob Marley is giving you this advice. But, man, he was on to something. I know it is silly for me to tell you not to worry. You worry about stuff. I worry about stuff. It is the way we are. (I think we got this from the Mullally side, so it really isn't our fault, it is in our blood.) BUT, I just want you to know (as an adult who has lived through some life), it will be okay. It ALWAYS is. I know, that's crazy! But, seriously, it ALWAYS is okay. Even when you think it will NEVER be okay, it ALWAYS is. I promise. I would not lie to you.

Be nice to Sam. I know this is tough. And, he doesn't always deserve it, but Sam loves you the most. Like, the most of anyone else, I think. And everything you say to him he takes to heart. Just try to remember that the next time you want to call him an idiot. He will be around forever, and he'll probably be pretty big, so he can have your back if you ever get into some trouble. Also, he's not embarrassing anyone more than himself when he acts crazy in public, so don't worry about that. Usually, he's pretty funny.

Don't be afraid to try new things. Remember that time I wanted you to try Nutella and you thought it would be gross and now you think it is the greatest thing ever? Can you imagine if you missed out on Nutella? A life Nutella-free?? I think not. That's what life is like. Sometimes you just gotta try some Nutella. On the other hand, you may think you will love that Birthday Cake milkshake from Steak-n-Shake and it turns out to be gross. The point here is, try new things - you never know what you will love and be awesome at. And, it's okay if you are not good at everything. No one is. I had a hard time learning this one - I wanted to be good at everything I tried. But, I realized I am not (especially not good at sports with balls. Ask Uncle Robby), but who cares!? I could do a back flip off of a balance beam and land on my feet. And, I would never know that if I didn't try.

It's okay to cry. Sometimes you will have so many feelings and you don't know what to do with them and the only thing you can do is cry. That is okay. Get it out. Take some deep breaths. Talk to me. I will always talk to you when you are sad, and I will try to make you laugh with some bad jokes.

Be kind to kids in your class. This doesn't mean you have to be friends with everyone, but everyone deserves to be treated with kindness. There will probably be a time when a bunch of kids are making fun of someone else for some stupid reason. Be the kid that tells them to stop, it is always the right thing to do.

Don't forget to have fun. You are NINE. It's okay to be silly sometimes. What are you going to do fun today? Have you even laughed today? Go have fun! If you need some ideas, ask Sam. Don't do anything that involves fire or damaging the house.

Don't forget you are awesome. Seriously. Did you know that?







Know that I will love you forever and ever and ever and ever. From the moment I knew about you, I loved you. Then I met you and loved you even more. Then, I got to watch you grow up each year and loved you even more. I can't even imagine how much I will love you in 20 years, my heart may explode. You are stuck with me forever.

Happy birthday my sweet Abe. How lucky I am to be your Mama. It's been a pleasure.

Love,
Mama