2011/09/19 - Letter to Aaron, 2011-09-19

Dear Aaron,

You made another milestone today.  I haven’t got the chance to write to you about your kindergarten graduation nor about you starting you first day in elementary school.  And, here you are, growing so fast.

You were supposed to come home with Ann (the 3^rd grader who lives in our community, in case you forgot who she is by the time you are old enough to be reading this) after school today.  This would be the first time that I do not pick you up after school.  I reason it should be relatively safe.  Ann is a responsible girl, you do not need to cross a big road to enter the MRT station, it’s only one stop to get home, and a very familiar 3 min walk from the MRT station home.  But of course life has to have its complications…Ann forgot to bring her MRT card with her today.  I would have asked the station manager to deduct two people from your card so you two can still come home together.  But, you and Ann reasoned that you would need to come home by yourself (though I still have yet to find out how she got home).  Later, I learned that you took the wrong direction on the MRT.  You saw Ri-Hu Department Store and realized that you took the wrong direction.  Though scared (you told me so afterwards), you had the sense to get off the train, walk to the other side of the platform, and get on the next train to get home.  Even though the 20 minute trip home turned to an almost one hour-long adventure, you got home safe and sound.  For this, I am so proud of your problem solving skills, my dearest little one.  Even though you were scared, you did not cry.  Instead, you calmly solved the problem. 

And I am ever so grateful that God answered my daily prayer to keep you safe and health and around me.  So many things could have gone wrong even if you did not panic.  After all, you are only 6 ½ years old.  How are you to judge ill intention should you met the wrong people on your way?  You are still naïve, thinking all bad people would have the label “I am bad” written across their forehead.  A kind smile or a friendly chitchat would make you deem the person nice and good.  You are still yet to learn that the darkest evil in real life is often disguised in kindness.  So, dear one, I have not figured out how to teach you to be cautious yet keep an open heart.  In the meantime, I can only leave you in God’s hand, pray that God will continue to watch over you.

-- Mommy, 2011/09/19

2011/06 /08 Kindergarten Graduation Photo Shoot, 6Y4M