Dear baby Courtney,
The truth is this: he comes home every time and he always loves you, and she means to love you well. The truth is this: there is nothing you need to say, do, or be differently. You really are an extraordinary child. Listen. You are extraordinary. This is the truth.
The truth is this: you are particularly sensitive and that is not a bad thing. It is a gift. I see how when you are alone you experience the world richly - reading, writing, barefoot in the yard, in the woods, biking around town; rearranging, redecorating, reimagining; tactile, sticky, full. You’ve got a theatre just beneath your quiet - almost like you’re holding your breath all the time. You eventually learn to speak from your diaphragm. That’s the truth.
And this is the truth: you are lovable now and I love who you grow up to be. I know that you feel deeply misperceived. But the truth is: it's all a great misunderstanding. It turns out, they always love you.
And the truth is: even if they don’t always love you, I do.