On Kindergarten Graduation

Dear Marie,

You did it.  You have graduated from Kindergarten!

You have learned a lot: to recall plots of a story in great detail, write complete sentences, not to mention adding and subtracting.  You are lucky to have had a teacher that recognized your potential and worked with it.  She gave you assignments based on your level, and you rose to the occasion.  She helped you to blossom.

You also read Have You Filled Your Bucket?  in your Kindergarten-Plus class.  I am so glad your teacher saw the value in that book because it gave us a way to talk about behavior, in a productive way.  Remember that girl who passive-aggressively manipulated your snack away from you?  We were able to talk about that without perpetuating the bullying.  You were able to understand that her behavior was about her, and not you.

You learned how to ride the school bus and eat your lunch in the lunchroom.  One may take these steps for granted, but it’s not easy to maneuver around the social landscape.  You hit a few bumps, but we tried to keep your bucket full and give space to those who were dipping into yours.

I am proud of you and all that you learned.  But most of all, I am proud of the person you are becoming.  I see this incredible person who is empathetic, knows the importance of kindness, has a witty sense of humor, and is incredibly creative with language and art.  I have no doubt that your intelligence will open doors for you, but it’s your self-awareness and your compassion towards others that will make your mark in the world.

As I always say, let the light always shine bright in your eyes and may you always find peace and happiness.

I love you forever.

Mommy