Hey there sweet little baby. Not matter what year you read this, you will always be that in my eyes. Sorry. Not. Sorry.
I'm sure that if you are reading this, that means I'm gone. Long gone probably. Maybe you got to know me or maybe I'm some faint memory that your mama, your Titis, and others have had to fill in the blanks to let you know about how it was when you were little. It doesn't matter. You are reading these words now so enjoy them in the moment.
You are two as I'm writing this entry today. Just turned so in August 2023. Don't worry, in this particular writing anyway, I won't be putting your picture up or even saying your name. Besides, if you got here, you already know this was meant for you. The context clues are already there for you. You are a smart girl. Always have been.
The day you came, just like your mama and your aunties, things changed. That's how Life works yanno. Your impact was IMMEDIATE. The love for you was ALWAYS THERE. You came into the World with love surrounding you. Big task. Big responsibilities, even if you are not my child. Big task. Big responsibilities because you are not my child too. I've had to show restraint in cases I would have taken over and taken over in places I would have shown restraint. Crazy right? You had that kind of impact.
You've brightened days when it looked like all was lost. You've reminded the household of what it is like to have a baby around and put some things into a perspective that my words could NEVER DO. Taught lessons I've been trying to prepares others for all these years. You've made sense of things that folks just couldn't comprehend until they saw it in action. Happening to themselves. Not just your mother either.
You are unique. Vibrant. Smart. Cunning. Mischevious. Brave and Cautious all at once. All the things. All of things.
You are serving your purpose right now and you are doing it without knowing it. Purely. Just as it should be.
I won't speak on your Father here other than to address him in this paragraph. I hope that things are well with him and that whatever the relationship is in regards to you and him, I hope that you are at peace with it. That is all that matters after all. Peace. It's not for any of us to say how you feel, what you should do or how you should handle it per say. Just live by the standards that have been set in your Life let that be your guide. At all times.
I'm writing today to keep it simple. I love you. At this point, I'm the only man you know and I am that Father figure. It wasn't the plan but it is the reality. Hopefully, I've not fallen short of what that should be for you and if I have, I'm sorry. I'm just doing the best I know how with what I have to work with. None of it is intentionally harmful. Nobody has any malice. Try to remember that.
I love you. I may never get to tell you these things during a time that you can TRULY hear me say them and take them in for what they are worth so here are all the things I want you to know. In writing. From me. In my own words. Life has taught me that we may have time but we need to say what we need say in that time before we don't have time. This is me doing that. Love you ya kid.
Love,
Pop Pop
