Coming upon this week's holiday, my daughter created the ubiquitous "I am thankful for..." school assignment. I'm all for having someone else instill a high moral code and sense of patriotism in my child. I'm the first to admit I am an armchair parent. (Although it usually looks more like shouting orders from behind my laptop at the kitchen table while my feral progeny chase danger around the circular layout that is my house.)
Anyway, as I just admitted to being a lazy parent, I have also been a lazy blogger lately as well. (But I am one very active and productive facebooker.) After being chastised by some other bloggers for whom I hold the utmost respect, I decided to throw a little something together.
I had my oldest daughter's, Ivy, parent teacher conference today which lasted all of 15 minutes because she is just doing really well and there wasn't much to say other than she is great. But this week in school, Ivy came home with that annual "I am thankful for..." assignment I mentioned. Her tiny scrawl provoked my throat to constrict and yanked tiny tears from my eyes.
Before I get to that, let me preface. We have very good family friends with whom we have celebrated Thanksgiving for the last five, maybe even 6 years. Their son, Sam, was Ivy's first best friend. He was the first friend she chose for herself and the feeling was mutual. Peas and carrots, those two for the primary years before they began Kindergarten at different schools. They don't see each other very often during the year, but we reserve Thanksgiving for them always.
Here is what Ivy wrote:
Dear Sam,
"I am thankful for..."
playing with me. You ar are
a good friemnd. I love play
ing with you. I am so thank
ful because all the stuff
I have wreitten is true.
As a friend I Love you. Since
I am a good friend I am so
thankfull. I can't wait
until thanksgiving. I hope
that sameday we will play
again. I just hope so much
we will be together some
day.
Love,
Ivy
