Dear Elizabeth

Hey,

I can’t imagine how you’re feeling right now. I wish I knew if you were happy, scared, anxious, or something else.

If it’s a bad feeling, I hope that over time it disappears.

If it’s a great feeling, then I can only hope that it remains.

It might feel weird for me to say this but, I’m sorry. I know this was out of my control. I didn’t choose for this to happen, but it is.

You have so much potential that you could go on and do anything you wanted and I interrupted that. Because of me whatever dreams you had have changed.

It might even feel like you were on a wonderful journey only to get a flat tire that could never be fixed. I don’t know why this happened, but I do know that it is happening.

And I know that you’re going to embrace this new journey. You’re going to put all of your energy into making it wonderful.

Because that is how you live life.

I wish I could tell you it is all smooth sailing, but no journey is ever like that. It will have its ups and downs.

I hope there is more joy than pain, but even to this day, I’m not sure how things are balanced.

Again, I’m sorry.

Even though you aren’t fully equipped for the job, you’ll show the world that you know how to level up pretty damn quickly.

It’s one of those challenges that you love to embrace.

And that man standing next to you, it won’t always be easy with him. In fact, at times, it will probably look like it’s the end of what you have.

But in the end, you two will grow stronger.

As for me, even as I write this, I can tell you that I’m not where I’m supposed to be yet. There are many promises that I will make to you and it feels like none of them have been fulfilled.

I’m sorry.

There is nothing more you’ll be able to do although you will continue to try. You will support me. You will back me. You will always be there for me.

And yet even though I won’t show it, I will struggle when I should be thriving.

I’m sorry.

I’ll keep trying until I get it right because that is what you deserve.

There are times when I’ll get so angry with you that I don’t know how to react. The same will happen to you. I will make you cry more times than I wish to count and every single time my heart will break.

Just know that all of those times are never your fault. It is always my own ability to not understand who I am. I get a little better at that as time goes on but not much.

And even though I will do a terrible job of showing it I hope you know that starting today, I will always love you.

Thank you, Mom.

Your Son,

Paul

This post was written from the following prompt:

I hand you an envelope. It’s a magic envelope. It can go anywhere at any time.

It can go to the past. It can stay in the present. It can travel to the future.

You write a letter to someone and put it in the envelope.

  • Who is the letter to?
  • When is it going to be opened?
  • What does it say?

This letter is to my Mom right before she gave birth to me.