Let's go ahead and open the envelope. Let's break the seal the time has place upon the memory and visit a lost little girl. Let's talk to her about life at a time when her life is hard and she is probably feeling a little lost.
"Dear Little Five-Year-Old-Girl,
There is a part of you that is lost right now, and a little bit broken. Your parents have divorced and since you live with your mother, you have in large part lost your father. This will not be the first time you feel that you have lost his friendship and guidance. But there is another Father that you will learn about someday soon, and even though you will not grow close to Him for a long time, He is a God who will love you always. He will be there for you through all your troubles no matter how small they are. And He also has a little boy who was once your age. That little boy loves you too, and when He grows up, he will sacrifice everything to protect you. The little boy? His name is Jesus ... and we will talk about him next time I write to you from the future. But remember, when your mommy is working and your daddy is not there anymore, you are safe and watched over. And when your Bubba (older brother) is not always nice to you in the years to follow, try to understand that he is just a little boy forced to take on more responsibility than he was meant to carry. And when he won't get you a cereal bowl in the next few months ... DO NOT! I repeat, DO NOT ATTEMPT TO CLIMB ON THE COUNTER TO GET IT YOURSELF. I don't care if you have done it a hundred times. Stop doing it, because if you keep doing that, you will eventually fall in a bad way. And that fall will affect certain aspects of your life, for the rest of your life. So just skip breakfast that day or cry loud enough to wake mom or something. Again, do not get on that counter. Really.
And the brakes on your bike? Don't be scared, it's not hard. You just push the pedals backwards. Yes, you will probably forget one day and crash ... into a tree ... but it won't be nearly as bad as you fear. You will not hurt yourself or break anything. You will get back up and you will be fine. Soon, you'll be riding that bike all over the apartment complex with Bubba on summer mornings and you will be SO PROUD that he lets you come with him, never mind that he does it because Mom would kill him if he left you alone and it's his job to watch you while she rests after working third shift all night. He will do other things too, that make you feel special. Savor those moments, they will not last forever. And when that mean boy is chasing you with his bike? Don't try to outrun him, just go ahead and jump in the bushes, that's where you're going to end up anyway. But you will get revenge because Bubba is going to bust that boy in the face later and bloody his nose. You're Bubba will protect you and you will be just fine. He will also teach you to dance to "Farmer In The Dell" at the bus stop before Kindergarten.
Speaking of Kindergarten ... You've had a birthday recently and now you are five years old. You are a big girl now, and you will go to Kindergarten in the fall. Go ahead and be excited, school holds many great things for you to learn. You will remember this teacher forever, and she will set a standard for all the teachers who come after her. You will also meet a boy, and he will set standards too. Go ahead and get a lot of practice on the monkey bars, too, because when you meet the little boy you will love a little for the rest of your life (but no, he is not your Prince Charming), you will need to know how to get up there when the other kids are teasing you and him for hanging out with members of the opposite sex. The next few years will hold a lot of turmoil for you, a lot of memories will be made, and there will not be many that are happy. So hold on to the good things, and try to be careful.
I'll Be Seeing You,
Brandi (you/me/us)
