Author Archives: Jessica
Letters to Jack: On Turning 9
My dear Jack, There are moments in life when everything snaps into place. Yesterday, on a work meeting, I shared that it was your ninth birthday. “Ohhhhhhhh, so he’s a Scorpio,” one of my colleagues said. Before then, I could … Continue reading
Letters to Charlie: On Turning 13
My dearest Charlie — the teenager, You’ll have to forgive me a moment. My heart rate immediately shot up, and I may need to find a paper bag to breathe into. Today, my son, you woke up a TEENAGER. The … Continue reading
Letters to Jack: On Turning 8
Dear Jack, I experience a jarring, yet wonderous moment each time I pick you up from your after-school program. Parents congregate in the preschool room while teachers fetch our kids, so I get to spend several minutes watching the little … Continue reading
Letters to Charlie: On Turning 12
Dear Charlie, I have a vivid memory of you as a tiny toddler, sitting on the long part of our sofa with your stubby legs barely reaching the edge of the first cushion. One day, I marveled, you’ll be a … Continue reading
Letters to Jack: On Turning 7
My dear, sweet boy, It’s the morning after your 7th birthday and you’re not home. Nope — you’re off having the best time of your life at a solo sleepover with your cousin. Charlie had the same opportunity on his … Continue reading
Letters to Charlie: On Turning 11
Dear Charlie, One of the reasons I could never be a book critic — and why I’ve always sucked at arguments — is because I react to life with a lot of feeling, and can never quite seem to put … Continue reading
Letters to Jack: On Turning 6
To my dear Jack, I know I’m a few days late in writing this letter, but it’s 2020, so what does “time” mean anyway. When I wrote Charlie’s birthday letter in May, we were in the throes of quarantine. Five … Continue reading
Letters to Charlie: On Turning Ten, In Quarantine
My dear, sweet boy, This isn’t how I imagined your tenth birthday. Back in February, before the world stopped, we thought this day would be filled with a disc-golf game for your friends, cheap pizza and soda, and almost certainly … Continue reading
Letters to Jack: On Turning 5
Oh, my sweet son. I’m struggling with how to begin this letter because there’s so much I want to say, and yet so many things that can’t be put into words. This is my last “letter of frequency” to you … Continue reading
Letters to Jack: Nearing 5
Hey Jackers, Summer is drawing to a close, and in a few weeks you will embark on a new adventure: Transitional Kindergarten! You’ll be attending the same school as Charlie, instead of the school with the Mandarin program. In short, … Continue reading
Hour 23 