A letter from my teenage years

Justin, Maisie, and I are in Sacramento, CA right now, finishing up loose ends before our big move back to Europe!  Yeah, that’s right.  We are headed back in just five days!!!  

So we have been sorting through my mom’s garage (we had a garage sale the last couple days) and I have taken it upon myself to organize photos and other memory type things.  I was very excited to come across a binder titled, “Jennifer” where I found lots of fun things from my childhood and teenage years. It’s always fun to take a walk in memory lane and see how I was as a child.  I was a pain.  It is proved in the following letter that I wrote out to my mom.  

Here it is typed EXACTLY how I wrote it!

At the top of the page, it reads, “I thought about this for a while before I wrote it, so I wouldn’t be upset.”

Mummy,

Hello- I’m just writing to you because I want you to have your full attention on me (without you interrupting me).  I really am sorry for not waking up in the mornings.  But will you please give me one more chance? Isn’t this a perfect time too?  Here is what I am going to do if you let me go tonight; I am willing to be out of bed by 5:45am. (tomorrow) and everyday (school day).  And if I don’t wake up, then you have my permission to take away all privileges.  I am just asking you this one little favor.  Please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please let me go out tonight!?!? 

Nights like tonight I feel like you’re treating me like a little kid.  I am not a little kid anymore.  I know you didn’t want or think I was going to grow up, but keeping me at home isn’t going to stop me from growing up.  But it’s just a part of life that people go through, and changes also occur when the daughter/son changes.  Please understand that.  Or at least understand what I am trying to say to you.  I know I don’t wake up very easily in the mornings, but can you please just give me this chance to prove to you that I am capable of taking on a little responsibility in waking up by myself in the mornings? I will do anything you want me to. Please let me go tonight.  Okay, okay, I guess I will still love you even if you say no, but I will feel like you don’t trust me. I am asking for one little chance.

I love you unconditionally!

Love always, Jennifer
(Your sweet, wonderful, all around great girl who (almost) everybody loves)

p.s. Amy even wants me to go and let me tell you that doesn’t happen often. (side note: Amy is my older sister who never wanted to hang out with me!)

I ended the letter then with, “Please think about the letter before you tell me your answer, thank you. Just like the song “Love grows best in houses just like these.”

WHAT IN THE WORLD WAS I THINKING!?!?

If you have been reading my blog for a while or know me personally, you will know that I am NOT a morning person, so I am guessing from the obvious morning talk in the letter that I was once again giving my mom a hard time in the mornings!  She would come to wake me up a million times before I would actually get out of bed.  My favorite excuse was to tell her that I was praying, so that she would maybe leave me alone.  Really I was just crazy tired and wanted a few more minutes of shut eye!  I would even skip school and fake sick, just so I could get my lazy butt back into bed.  

My poor mom.  And now my poor husband who also tries to get me out of bed.  He told me I needed to write a “Dear Hubby” letter to him, apologizing for all the times I won’t get up for him either.  Poor people who are in my life and have to deal with mean morning Jen.  🙂  ha ha ha!  

6 Comments

  1. Amy Ginther on July 21, 2008 at 2:34 pm

    Ahhhh, “mean morning Jen” I love it! I love walks down memory lane! Some things never change huh!?! I say keep sleeping girl and enjoy it now…cause kindergarten is coming before you know it, and I’m pretty sure even in Spain they start before 11:00 in the morning 🙂 Preschool definitely was a wake up call for this Mama (also NOT a morning person). Hey, you are who you are and we all love you anyway!



  2. Melea Bauer on July 21, 2008 at 5:29 pm

    Haha! I love/hate finding old things I have written. I get so embarrased reading them, especially the old diaries about Eric that say “do I really want to be with this guy?!” Hope you guys are having fun before you leave! See you in september.



  3. Jill Sinnott on July 22, 2008 at 9:18 am

    I think the best part is when you are educating your mom as to what it’s like to come of age, as if she has no insight because she never did. I love finding stuff like this!! You should see some old correspondence between Jamie and I. Once upon a time we had to share a car..:)



  4. Svest on July 22, 2008 at 2:50 pm

    Oh my gosh! That is so freaking hysterical! Ethan kept turning to me as I was reading this going “why are you laughing? Are you still laughing at Aunt Jen’s writing?” That is so ridiculous. I can’t wait to find my binder entitled “Amy”. I am sure I was just as drama, if not more. geez. we were pretty ridiculous, weren’t we?

    And where were we going that night by the way? Was that when I was dating Willie and he hit on you that night?? That is the only night I actually remember hanging out with you. hmm….funny.

    I still can’t get my butt out of bed in the mornings. Married 10 years and two kids later…they are my alarm clocks. I am kind of embarrassed to even say that I recently put an alarm clock in their bedroom and told them they could not get out of their room until 8:30am unless they had to pee. It’s the worst when your husband is the exact same way. Our poor kids.

    Great Letter Jen! Thanks for posting!



  5. Jocelyn on July 22, 2008 at 8:01 pm

    Keep forgetting to ask you for your email so I can add you to our blog, if you want?!!!



  6. Jocelyn on July 23, 2008 at 4:34 pm

    Oh yeah~oops! Mine is [email protected]



Leave a Comment