To our daughter, Isabella Marie, on the occasion of her FIRST Thanksgiving...
Dear Bells,
Happy FIRST Thanksgiving, Princess! I'm so glad now our family is complete and we are all celebrating your FIRST Thanksgiving home!
You're a pretty special young lady, from a very long and illustrious line of special ladies.
Your Grandma Doris is pretty cool. She helped Grandpa Eric make me into your dad. It was important to them that I know how to make the right choices, no matter how hard or painful it was. They both wanted me to work hard. When I was younger, Grandma took an interest in my handwriting. It was just as bad as both your brothers', Ethan's and Justin's. She told me that if I wanted her to read what I had written, I needed to work on my penmanship and make my writing clearer for her to read. Penmanship's a snap. Making the writing clearer to read has been the real job.
I can't say I blame you or your brothers for not liking to read. You're not the only ones. Grandma used to sit me by her sewing machine on sunny days to read.
Strange Companion, by Dayton O. Hyde was the first book Grandma had me read. I read other stuff, too. Grandma encouraged me to read. She even bought me my first comic books!
When I was a boy, comic books were sometimes sold in threes wrapped in plastic. Mostly they were sold off of a newsstand, with the magazines and books. Today, there are stores that only sell comic books, along with trade paperbacks, trading cards and games.
So, you're Grandma got me started reading and collecting comic books!
You probably already know this, but your Aunt Paula is pretty cool. I guess you could say she showed me that I could do anything, even fly. When I was much, much smaller - and lighter, too - she used to put me up on her feet and I would pretend I was flying. Yeah, she actually was like the wind beneath my wings!
Let me tell you, it was a pretty cool feeling!
She's a pretty cool mom, too. And a pretty proud grandma!
Now, your Mom? Well, she's a regular VIP. She's tough and she's a survivor. She got that from her mother, your Grandma Priscilla. It's a shame you never got to meet her. She was no-nonsense just like both your great-grandmothers, who just both happened to be named Ruth. I'm sorry that you are Ruth-less. My Grandma Ruth always told me that the first hundred years are the hardest. She lived to be 101. I guess she knew what she was talking about.
I am so excited that our adventure has shifted from bringing you and your brothers home, to the adventure we can all experience together!
Sweetheart, tomorrow is the biggest adventure ever! Whatever happens, you can always hold Mom's hand and mine and we'll all get through it - together.
Happy FIRST Thanksgiving, Princess!
Love always,
Popi
