To Andersen, my little peanut...
When you’re old enough to read this, I want you to know that you are great and are beautifully shaped and made. Recently, the dad I nanny for has been telling his son that he is overweight. I can not think of a logical reason behind this. I don’t understand any of the reasons I have been told. I have no idea why he has been telling him this because he absolutely isn’t at all. If he was, I would maybe understand more why he says this to him.
But as an outsider of the family, I can see how wrong this is. His son is nine years old and very much impacted by his father. He is so looks up him so much especially at this influential age…and it’s not like his son is sitting on the couch every day and eats nothing but junk. His children never make their own decisions when it comes to food and when they can, they pick the unhealthy stuff out of rebellion and wanting things they don’t get to have very much.
Reese has started questioning everything he eats now. He says he can’t eat certain things, not just about junk food but about a lot of other things. When he does eat candy or sweets, he does it out of spite and basically because his dad wouldn’t like it. It breaks my heart so much. His dad doesn’t see what he has started.
His dad use to be a chunky kid. Which is totally normal and okay. He also had terrible adults in his life due to his parents dying at a young age. So I’m guessing they might be a reason why he has body issues. He’s makes comments about people’s bodies, male and female, all the time. And I can see how these things have trickled down to his children. He isn’t helping children learn to love their bodies, a very important part of your life that makes you who you are, and a part of you that you can only do so much to change…
So Andersen, the point of all of this is because I hope you learn to love who you are. From the top of your adorably shaped head to the tip of you uniquely made toe nails. I know your parents will never make you feel uncomfortable for how you look but others might. And I want to tell you what I have told Reese.
All that matters is how YOU feel about your looks and your personality. If there is ever a time when you’re feeling low or having a time when you feel negatively about those things, you call your Aunt Kim. Because before and after you popped out of my sister, I have loved every fiber of your being. As well as everyone else in our family. But there will be times when you might have doubts or negative thoughts and feelings. That’s when you turn to your family. To help build you back up and bring you back down to reality. That’s why I tried to do my part with Reese after seeing all of this with him and his dad. He doesn’t have someone to help build him back up so I made myself that person. And I will always be that person for you, Andersen.
I love you, my incredible nephew, and you are so perfect in every possible way.