A Letter to My Niece

Sweet Holland,

You started Kindergarten this week! People are going to tell you this your whole life, but time really does fly. It took me until 24 to realize just how fast because it feels like yesterday I was in college and you were a sweet little baby starting up at everyone with those big, brown, beautiful eyes.

I wanted to stop in and tell you how cool you are. As a five year old, you are determined, you are extremely intelligent and you are ready. You are ready for learning and playing and making new friends. The coolest part about Grace Christian School is that these friends will probably stay with you until you graduate. Two of my best, best friends to this day I met at a school just like yours in Kindergarten and second grade. Even though everyone might not be your friend – be nice to all of your classmates. Try to find a unique quality you admire in each of them and hold on to that.

You’re a smart girl, H. I don’t know many five year olds that can spell and write and even read like you can. Your mommy and daddy have done a really good job. But even more than that, you have done a really good job. Ever since your little sister and two little brothers were born you’ve been a helper. You help me when I need advice on how to get Crew to stop crying. You help Hensley when she can’t quite reach something she’s determined to fetch. And you help feed Myers when mom and dad are handling Crew. You are such a helper – and I love that about you!

This past week I came home to find you upstairs applying makeup (more specifically, eyeshadow, blush, and of course…lipstick) on Pops. It was silly – you knew that – but it stopped me in my tracks. You are in kindergarten now and enjoy the play makeup but sooner rather than later you will be applying your own before leaving the house.

I am so proud to be your aunt and it brings me so much happiness to think that while I might have missed the past couple of years, I will be here, in the same city, to continue to watch you grow from now on. You’re the coolest 5 year old I’ve ever met.

Good luck in Kindergarten!

Aunt Allie