“It’s a precious thing to be communicating to children, helping them discover the gift of language and thought.” -Richard Scary

“Aunt Ken, can you read my a story?” Bright blue eyes eagerly searched mine.

Soon we were knee deep in a Little Golden Book from my childhood- learning from the wisdom of Richard Scary.

“If I write a letter to someone I love… then someone I love might write a letter to me!”

“Aunt Ken what’s a yetter? Like the alphabet?”

“Well” my brain scrambled to find the right 4 year old terms “a letter is what you send somebody in the mail when you want to talk to them but you can’t go for a visit.”

And soon the conversation turned to sending emoticons and Snapchats and FaceTiming their aunts. Children of an instant world. And snacks- we can always talk about snacks.

So Aunt Ken purposed in her heart to help the twins write a “yetter.” One goes to Cousin Alexander and one to a cousin on the Showalter side.

We ended up having so much fun writing letters that we wrote a whole bunch- including one that we snuck into the mail to surprise Mama.

Sometimes we used words and sometimes we drew pictures- like to describe how fast the bike ride earlier in the day went (“this is ALLLLLL smoke.”)

Once they got rolling the letters included some coaching from Aunt Ken and a lot of 4 year old originality. “Dear cousin Benjamin, I drew this picture of you. You have big hair on this picture. Maybe you need a haircut. Mama gave us a haircut. What are you planning to do today? I’m planning to have Mama go on a trip somewhere so I can have someone sleep in the top bunk of our new bunk bed. But probably not Aunt Ken, she’s too big. (*editors note: while this letter was scribed by Aunt Ken there was no coaching involved.)

And so it went. We carefully chose stamps and tried to understand the difference in a stamp and a sticker.

Then we sealed the envelope and all rode up front in Aunt Ken’s truck out to the mailbox.

And now we wait.

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Occasionally the boys remember their letter and wonder how its trek is going.

But the truth is- 4 year olds aren’t the only ones who are products of an instant world: Aunt Ken has had this blog marinading for a long time, waiting so the mail is a surprise when it arrives in Alabama… And she’s wondering too😅

My front row seat of watching my nephews learn is delightful. And in a round about way, I understand waiting differently as I learn with the twins. After my last post on resting, being still and waiting- I can’t help but wonder- if this perspective shift is a gift from our Heavenly Father. In a small way, I understand His role in my personal journey.

He knows my lack of understanding what’s happening. He knows the time it takes for the next step to arrive. He hears my questions and understands my heart and distracts me with snacks and all manner of good things… He loves me.

Thank you, Jesus

Aunt Ken