Dear Miles,

This morning I had the privilege of writing a job recommendation for a young man whom our family knows, and as I wrote it, it gave me occasion to think about you.  I thought about how you were a shy and timid little boy, and how relieved I was when I learned that this great kid (at the time) attended the same elementary school where you would be starting kindergarten.  It eased my mind to know that, even if you didn’t often run into each other in school, there would be someone in the building who understood your tender little heart and would be on your side.  He’s applying for a position working with kids, and if your experience with him is any indication, he’ll excel at it.

Of course, he has long since left elementary school, and now you’re in the summer before your sixth grade year.  It’s becoming rarer, but our school district continues elementary school through sixth grade, so you’re ready to become one of the top dogs.  In some ways you’ve changed a lot from the little kindergartner you once were.  Your early-grader teachers used the phrase “deer in the headlights” to describe your reaction to being called on in school.  Now you’re relaxed and comfortable in an academic setting.

You’ve made some good friends, and even though you’re not the most socially active person in the world, I appreciate that you hang out with smart, interesting kids.  You’re not one to request playdates, and you’re just as happy alone as in a group, but you seem to have a nice gang to pal around with at school.  You have your favorite summer camp coming up later this month, FilmScene, and we organized it so you and your friend Daniel will be attending the same week.  The only way it worked in the schedule was for you attend with an older age group than your birthdate would indicate, but the organizers said it would be fine, since this will be your third year at the camp.  I think you’re ready for some new challenges anyway.

This is probably your last year of baseball.  You haven’t been enjoying senior league as much as the leagues you were in during previous years.  I think it’s getting more competitive at this stage, and it’s not as much fun for someone whose natural gifts lie elsewhere.  I don’t usually go to the games, because it means a very long night out at the ballpark between your game and Tobin’s, and that’s too much for Callum to handle.  I do plan to go some time next week, so I hope I can watch you have a least a little fun.  You seem to enjoy the concession stand popsicles, at least.

One recent achievement on the athletic and personal front was a great performance at the Let Me Run 5k.  Based on what I’d seen you do on the weekend training runs we did together, I was worried it was going to be a disaster.  You seemed to have no interest in pushing yourself for speed at all, feeling satisfied with a shuffle that you defined as “not walking” but I’m not sure truly met all the criteria as such.  But when race day came, you must have felt an adrenaline surge, because you improved your time from the training runs by a wide margin.  You were also thrilled to win your team’s Let Me Run Boy award.  That honor is given to one boy per team, the one whom the teammates decide best exemplifies the tenets of Let Me Run (“Let Me Run Boys are courageous enough to be themselves; push themselves to be fit in body, mind, and spirit; are loyal friends who encourage and support others; trust that teamwork, unity, respect, and perseverance open doors to greatness; are honest with themselves and others; responsibly choose what is right, never settling for what is easy”).  You’d been really hoping for that award, and I was so excited for you when you won.

Photo by Gary Clarke

Our busiest month is over now, although June is still fairly booked up.  We’ve been filling our days with trips to the library, the park, and running various errands.  You’ve been playing as much Minecraft as I’ll let you, which is less than you want, but it’s a compromise.  Your current favorites:  sleeping in late, Fox Trot comics, making YouTube videos, pasta, and playing in the park.  We got some good creek exploration done today, which was possible because we’ve had a few days without rain (unusual in this year of deluge).  The gnats were awful, but your attitude was mostly good.

In fact, I’ve been really happy overall with your attitude lately.  You’ve been especially helpful with Callum, which I’ve appreciated a lot.  Being home with three kids in the summer is no joke, and your ability to find creative and kind ways to help Callum be a productive family member is something I truly appreciate.

I look forward to a lot more fun with you this summer, my sweet boy.

Love,

Mom