I Can Only Imagine

Join me in the Five Minute Friday Challenge hosted by Lisa-Jo Baker. Participants write for 5 minutes with no editing, no over thinking, and no backtracking. This week’s word is: Imagine.

(Go)

Dear Stepson,

Emails have been flying back and forth lately at a crazy rate. Your phone call this evening confirmed what we’ve been waiting to hear. You’re coming to stay. For eighteen months. The longest you’ve stayed before has been about a week.

We are excited. We are scared. Our brains are going into overload as we try to piece our racing thoughts together. We relish the opportunity to get to know you better. To establish the kind of relationship we have (up until this point) only dreamed of. We have never looked after a teenager before. The eldest child that lives here is ten. And he has Asperger’s - so his lists of interests don’t always exactly fit the norm. We find this genuinely frightening. We don’t know what to do with someone your age.

Our parenting style is quite different to what we understand you are used to. We pray that it won’t be too difficult to get used to each other’s ways. We know that some things have been a little less than happy with the other parent figures in your life. Please know that we want to start this journey with you, with a clean slate. We’ll even paint your room. But first we’d better build it. We have dreamed up a cosy little space for you. The renovating is screaming louder than ever. I have it all mapped out in my mind. I hope you like it when it’s done.

Together we’ll learn things we never knew before. I’m certain you’ll teach us and grow us just as much as we want to help you and be there for you. We look forward to the highs and are bracing ourselves for the lows. We will leave it all in God’s hands.

You arrive in just over a month. How are you feeling? I can only imagine…

(Stop)

Now, your turn…