Back in the Fall of 2012, my cousin Donna dropped her niece Kayla off at my house for some one-on-one therapy. I'd met Kayla a few times when she was a baby but didn't see her again until Summer 2010. By 2012, her parents had split up and she moved with her Mom and Jaeden into the family house in Fishtown with MomMom and her Aunt Donna. New state, new school, new home, new life. She suddenly had to share a room with her Mom and little brother and the adjustment was anything but easy. Donna saw that Kayla was struggling, mentally, and reached out to me, asking if I would spend time talking with Kayla and seeing if I could help her even a little bit. (Donna and I had lived together for about a year when she and her husband split and she knew I also had mental health issues.) Donna threw Kay at me and I did the best I could to build up her self esteem and instill her with positive self-talk. That one day kicked off a friendship that has only gotten stronger over the past twelve years. A couple months after that first session, at Christmastime, I was hanging out with Kayla when she gave me this card. To say I love it is a gross understatement. I adore it, and since the day I got it, I have had it sitting out on display in my home. Every time I see it I am reminded that, although my life is a complete mess and I've failed at nearly everything, I never failed with Kayla.
post script: Kay read this post and, Gen Z girl that she is, took a photo of her teary-eyed reaction.
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