This is a letter, or just thoughts really for my mother's side of the family. Due to the recent events, it lead me to writting and this is what it came to be:
My’Kel is on her way! She should be here any moment! I cannot wait for the precious miracle to arrive. Mikey and Nyisha will do an amazing job at raising her and with the beauty of those two who wouldn’t want to see what the darn little girl will look like! My’Kel is a gorgeous and unique name. I hope My’Kel’s life is filled with beauty and she grows to be a natural Reynolds woman, strong, beautiful, gifted, smart, talented, independent, and dream worthy.
All of us girls in this family have each of those traits. It is the idea of using them, believing in them, and finding them that seems to trouble us. Some of us found them at 25 years young (ha-ha) or some found it at 40 years young. Each of us found them or still are finding them at this very moment. I told Sherri once that I saw 1 Fairy God-Mother, 3 mothers, multiply dads, and 9 brothers and sisters when I looked at my family. Not Aunts and Uncles and cousins, we are too close and connected for those label. Each person was chosen for our family for a certain reason. I really do believe God has a plan and a good one at that.
Our Fairy God Mother or Grandma Carol is our hope. Sherri gives us our comfort. DeeDee gives us our support. Trisha gives us our strength. Stephanie gives us tenderness. Carolynn gives us pride. Michael gives us confidence. James gives us loyalty. I, Jessica, give us wisdom. Nicole gives us spontaneity. Hailey gives us simplicity. Victoria gives us fragility. Jeremy gives us aspiration. Nathan gives us wonder. The men, our saviors, in our lives have not been forgotten. Our Guardian or Papa gives us love. Mike is our laughter. Nate is our selflessness. James is our compassion. Ken is our kindness.
Each day our family grows and with each person so does our love. I know everyone is excited to see what the new wonders bring to our family. And already we can see it.
Ines, the miracle brought to us by Carolynn and Cris, is just that, a wonder, a joyfulness and bundle of life. He started our next generation of family and I cannot wait for them to grow-up just as close, just as loved, blessed with memories of baking at midnight and sleeping all night on the tramp-o-line and riding their bikes all over the town, just as we did.
Cris gives us understanding. Ines gives us meaning. Nyisha gives us gratitude. And her newly born daughter My’Kel gives us patience. And Enup gives us joy. I love each and every one of these people, we all do. Some are growing closer through passion and others are growing closer through the miracle of birth. No matter how they joined our family, or when, or why, their significance of what they blessed our family with is just as loved. I could not find a better company to call my family, my mothers, my fathers, my sisters, me brothers, my fairy god mother, or my guardian.
Thank you for everything you have given me. Times in life are not as beautiful as we would like and because of each of you I am able to get through it, we all do. I know I speak for everyone when I say that our family has a bond, a love that is unbreakable and will never be forgotten or lost even as the future generations expand. We all are growing separately, especially now with the physical distance that comes with growing-up. I hope these next chapters in our lives only bring us closer together. I love you my family, I really do.
Love always and forever,
Jessie
