Letter to My Nephews

Dear Nephews,

I hope you know how awe inspiring you both are. Let me tell you why.

C: You have endured so much in such a small amount of time. Despite what your mother, my sister, may say I think you have handled it with better grace than most adults ever have. At the tender age of 5, we followed along as you were diagnosed with a slow growing brain tumor. I remember the phone call, “We are not screaming, we are not crying. It is what it is, and we are waiting.” That became our mantra for the past 6 years.

You are now 11, and you have undergone so many surgeries, radiation, and chemo pills. You are susceptible to any and all illnesses, and flu and covid season is most definitely not your friend. You will have to be monitored for the rest of your life. Yet you have made such amazing friends. It is the greatest, funniest thing to see nurses call to one another that you are there, and that they all stop in to say hello. I also love that they hang out with you, and your mom, joke with you, decorate your room, and make sure to always say goodbye when you leave. Even though this is not an ideal situation, you have made friends that care.

Speaking of friends, the people you have met and talked to makes me jealous! I don’t want to ignore the heaviness of the situation, but seriously kid, get me a couple of autographs, please! Haha!

You are curious, wanting to know about each procedure and drug. You are friendly and bright. You improve in many areas and defy almost every odd the many doctors seem to give you. While it is my fervent prayer that one day you will not have to endure anymore, I know that whatever life throws at you, you will meet and overcome with that brilliant smile that makes my heart soar.

You are unstoppable.

K: You have this unnatural ability to make me cry at any time. You have been C’s strength since you were 3. You never let him see you cry or how scared you were. I will always remember how you calmly followed me to tell the paramedics about your brother not breathing. How you stood back but nearby for your mother, just in case. When the ambulance took them away was when you finally broke down, and my heart just broke.

I know you get scared about certain things, hospitals being the most prevalent, but that never seems to stop you from being crazy.

I stayed and lived with you while C was in the ICU twice. When you were little, it was the scariest because we didn’t know what was going on. But I think you handled it as well as any 3-year-old could. I remember you actually telling me that it was okay to sleep in your bed, because you weren’t using it. Haha!

This most recent stay with you demonstrated to me just how much everything has affected you. Oh, you are still friendly, love your sister, and are extremely kooky. But you are also easily distracted, highly sensitive, and clingy. When you were home with your sister, you wanted her attention all the time. Even when you were asking me to keep her away, you kept talking to her.

Your grandmother has tried to keep you in activities, because you cannot sit still! You seem to enjoy the church activity, and actually get upset if there is some reason you cannot attend. I know you can sometimes get overwhelmed with group activities, but you must remember that you have been through and seen worse situations. Your whole family will continue to help you find that calm center to help you in every possible scenario.

You are the kookiest, goofiest, pain in the butt sometimes monkey child that I am so proud to call my nephew.

You are strength.

How can two boys at such young age show such resilience when grown adults can’t even communicate in a rational manner?

Now you have a little sister. From what I have seen you both have embraced her and love her very much. You both play with her and tell her she’s pretty when she paints her nails. You watch the same cartoons over and over again and eat the same foods.

My loving wish for you both is that you continue to grow up being such amazing young men. That you continue to be resilient, and that you teach your sister to be resilient as well. That you protect each other, but also let each other make mistakes and learn.

But overall, I hope you continue to love each other, support each other, and never ever stop being amazing!