Letters
To a 10-Year-Old
Hey Tiger,
It’s been a tough day, I know. I wish I could comfort you and answer the questions racing through your mind. You may not be ready to ask them yet. You may not even know how to ask them yet. All you know right now is that terrible, frightening numb feeling. It’s the shock of what you saw. I’m so sorry you have to feel it, but you’re not alone. I’ve felt it too. And I know you’re confused about what to do, how to deal with what you saw, and what to feel, all in a world that gives you no guidance. But don’t worry about what the world thinks. No, your friends may never understand, but I do. I know what you’re going through because I went through it too. It’s okay to be upset. It’s okay to hurt.
And do you know it’s okay to cry over Jennifer? Don’t listen to them—all those voices you imagine, the ones you’ve always heard when you’re disappointed or upset. No, you don’t need to just grow up. I’m grown up, and I’ve cried many times over Jennifer. No, you don’t need to get over it. I haven’t; I’ll always love her, just like you will. She’ll always be my heroine, just like she’ll always be yours. Your love for her will grow with time, even if it hides from you for now because it’s too painful to feel. But one day, the love and the pain will weave together into beautiful, inspiring scars. Until then, my friend, when we’ll meet again.
Sincerely,
You at 47 years old