Hello, my dear,

I was sorting out some details for our spring break trip, and I had to fill out of form that asked for my kids’ ages at the time of arrival. I had to write nine, twelve, and sixteen. I know you’re not actually there yet, but seeing that number in front of me was a little startling.

You’ve been pretty jovial lately. You don’t give me many details of what goes on in your daily life, but I can only surmise that things are going well. Your grades are stellar; you grumble about band (especially marching band) yet are always in a good mood when I pick you up from a band event. You seem to have friends, though you don’t do a whole lot of socializing, at least in-person. I don’t know if the pandemic messed that up for you or what. Maybe you missed out on the time when a lot of social bonds develop. A lot of people have moved back to in-person social activities, and you do sometimes (like the Halloween band party, discussed below). Most of the time, though, you hang out in your room. I would probably also hang out in my room most of the time if I didn’t have other obligations, but I know from experience that I do better if I pry myself out now and then. I hope you get enough chances to do that.

The last time we discussed it, you did not seem interested in going on the music trip to the UK. I thought it might be something you’d want to do, since you had expressed some interest in it before, but right now you say you just want to go on the Great Clarke-Crall Europe Trip because you don’t have to play music. I can understand why it would be a hassle to haul a trombone through airports, train stations, and European hotel hallways, but it’s too bad you consider playing music a downside. You were invited to play in the Family Folk Machine concert, but you declined. I wonder if music is becoming less enjoyable to you than it used to be.

I don’t feel like I know what your thing is yet. I’m not sure you do either. I was thinking band mind be your thing, because it’s your only extracurricular, but you don’t seem to want to put in the effort required to really excel in band. I’ve tried to encourage you to get involved with other school groups, like theater or Robotics Club, but you’ve never taken the bait. I guess you’re still in a life stage of figuring out where your interests lie, but in the meantime, I wish you’d explore a little more enthusiastically.

You did get involved in a few Halloween activities. You happily carved and accessorized your pumpkin, which turned out pretty cool. You and your fellow trombonists all dressed as CIA agents for the band Halloween party. We couldn’t find a fedora, so you were more of an MI6 type in your bowler hat, but you had the right attitude. On actual Halloween night, you decided to stay home while your little brothers when out trick-or-treating with friends. I did have some teens come to the door, and they got candy from me with no judgment, but I understand the feeling of growing out of it. I did reserve some candy from our bowl for you. We had plenty extra, because it was a crummy night out and not a lot of kids showed up (though more than I was expecting, and Tobin and Callum stayed out decently late too). Just because you feel too old to go trick-or-treating doesn’t mean you feel too old for Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups and Albanese Gummy Bears. I also do not feel too old for Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups and Albanese Gummy Bears.

You’re funny and witty and have a lot of interesting things to say. You usually seem happy enough to hang out with us, and cocktail hour and dinner table conversations get better when you chime in. You hadn’t said much at dinner tonight until I asked you how AP World History was, and you talked about how you were tasked with debating whether the Mongol Empire was a good or bad thing. That got us all talking about the Roman empire, which got Tobin asking questions about ancient Greece and history versus mythology. The whole evening turned out better because of your thoughts and ideas. I’m really glad to have you in my family, and I hope you continue to hone your interests and find areas you can explore further.

Your current favorites: hanging out in your room, playing poker with your siblings and grandparents, wearing comfortable clothing, watching movies on your laptop, pasta, ice cream, Goldfish crackers, lemonade, being silly and goofy (sometimes), and being irritated with how uncool I am (only now and then). You help me with teen slang I wouldn’t have known otherwise, though I’m not sure I will ever get the nuances well enough to satisfy you. Maybe I’m getting closer.

I love you, my dear Artemis. You’re a treasure, and I know you have so much to offer.

Love,

Mom