Saturday, November 29, 2008

Social Injustices of the World

Dear Chuck,

*giggle* Daddy hates when I call you that. I'm not 100% sure why, but he claims it just hasn't grown on him. I'll admit, you don't exactly resemble a Chuck to me, but then again, our original name for you was either Isabella or Ava. I like to think we hit the nail on the head with Charlotte.

In absence of your presence, Daddy and I braved the mall today to purchase presents for your cousins Lilly and Jaden and your Uncle Jason. While we were there, Mommy got her hair cut, and spent a good while talking to the nice man who was cutting said hair.

The nice man, it turns out, is gay; a few days ago, his car got broken into, and some nasty words were left for him. Words that you should never have to know. And this made the nice man sad, because he has never been a mean person, and he has never done anything to justify people hating him for being who he is.

And that made Mommy think, as things like that usually do, about the kind of world you're going to grow up in. Charlotte, people are going to say mean, terrible things to you sometimes. It happens to everyone. The world is full of people who disagree on everything from religion, to sexual preference, to how you wear your hair and whether or not you should have your ears pierced. It really is a crazy place out there. And you, my darling child, are likely to be on the receiving end of that kind of criticism far more than others your age, simply because of your family. And there are days that kind of criticism is going to hurt, and you aren't going to understand why people are so hateful.

What you need to know, my dear, sweet Charlotte, is that none of that matters. The hurtful things that people say do not matter one little bit. It doesn't matter that Mommy and Daddy's parents are divorced; it doesn't matter that Nama isn't a man, and that Mamaw loves her anyway. It doesn't matter if Mommy has a hundred tattoos, or that Daddy has none, and it doesn't matter what religion you choose to follow, or who you fall in love with. What matters, sweet girl, is that you are loved. You have been loved since the day you were born, and that love will follow you until you take your last breath, and it doesn't matter what choices you make in life. I will love you every single moment of every single day, and absolutely nothing you or anyone else can do will make me change my mind.

Still missing you. I can't wait to see your smiley face tomorrow.

Love,

Mommy

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