Nettles update: ten years

Double digit Nettles. Something you claim makes you an adult already, somehow. Or at least deserving of the privileges of your teenage sister. WHATever girl. Hold your horses. Slow down. (That’s a good joke…)

  • I feel like we keep saying it over and over – to teachers, to professionals, to friends and family – your super power is taking nothing anything and turning it into something. Empty packaging, the contents of the recycling bin, a bunch of scraps, things I can’t even identify. You spy them with your magic eye and convert them into houses, towns, worlds. A rollercoaster, even.
  • Your self awareness is increasing: What you can do, what you want to do, where you struggle, and that despite it, you’re motivated. You’ve got grit. You work hard. We’re working so hard to make sure we – us, school, your surroundings – don’t fail you in that, don’t prevent you from maintaining that fantastic drive and motivation you hold. More than any talents or skills themselves, that’s the highest priority nurture we are responsible for in you right now.
  • The war has hardened something in you for sure. Corona was hard but it was kind of, weirdly, an adventure for you. A bizarro world. The war is something else. It’s unlocked new awareness and definitely hardened you. It’s an all or nothing thing for you – good vs evil, like. Age appropriate, sure. But you’re also not comfortable with uncomfortable things. And there’s a lot to be uncomfortable with here. And a lot of scary things to hide in the sand from. I’m so sorry, Nettles, but it’s not the way it’s going to be, whether you hide or not. Sooner or later the scorpions find their way in.

It’s growth, I suppose. Like the aches you complain about – the growing pains as you steadily race to soar taller than me. There’s so much good out on the other side, but we have to get there.

But you move fast. You’ll be there before you know it.


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