August 26, 2015
My Dearest Ryan,
Tomorrow you will start Kindergarten. What adventures await you!
You will learn new things, and meet new people.
Who knows, you may even meet someone who will be your friend for the
rest of your life?! You will have so many new experiences. You’ll learn new
games, new songs, new facts, and new skills. You will probably feel new
feelings, too! School is a wondrous place. The possibilities of what you can
do, achieve, learn, or change are endless. We can’t wait to watch the
possibilities unfold.
But Ryan, I want you to know that there is nothing in this world
that Daddy and I want more for you than to view school as an opportunity to
grow as a person and to practice being kind and brave. I’ve told you before, we
don’t care if you’re the smartest, or the fastest, or the best artist. But we
care that you are the best YOU that you can be. Try your best, work hard, have
fun, and be good. We know you are amazing. Now is your chance to show the rest
of the world!
Part of being the best YOU possible is learning to be kind. Go
through your day with your eyes wide open. Keep an eye out for the kid who is
extra shy, scared, or lonely. Try to help them be a little less scared and a
little less lonely. Say hello. Ask him to play. Smile at her. Offer to share
your snack…yes, even if the snack is your most favorite snack in all the world
and you wish that I had packed more of it for you. Being kind isn’t always
easy. But, it’s always right. And sometimes doing the right thing means you
have to be brave.
Sometimes it will be hard to do the right thing, the kind thing.
Sometimes you’ll worry about what to say, or how to help. But dig deep in that
big heart of yours. You are naturally caring. You instinctively know how to
make people feel better. Trust those instincts. You’ll be amazed at how much of
a difference you can make!
There may be times when you see one student being mean or unkind
to another student. These are the times that really require bravery. Don’t
stand back. Don’t let that child who is being unkind think that it’s ok. Show
him or her that being kind is the best way to be, and that doing otherwise will
not win him or her any points or any friends. Show them what being kind looks
like by standing up to them confidently. And if doing this seems too hard, or
too scary, because sometimes it might, then tell a teacher or grown-up what
happened so they can help.
Ryan, there is nothing you can or can’t do at school that will
make Daddy and I love you any more than we already do. We already love you as
much as we ever could or ever will. And that is a WHOOOOLLLEEEEE LOT! There is
nothing you can do to make us love you any less. We love you because you’re
you, because you’re ours, and you always will be. We hope that all the love we
have for you will help you be able to show that love to the other kids you will
meet at school.
Ryan, we want you to love school. We want you to have fun. We
want you to explore, learn, create, run, play, ask questions, and have new
adventures every day. But most of all, we want you to grow into the amazingly
kind, caring, and thoughtful little boy that we already see glimpses of every
day.
Have a blast at school sweet boy! We can’t wait to hear all
about it! I love you so, so, soooooo much! I love you to Pluto and beyond!
Love always,
Mama
