A Letter to Greyson by Jillian Law

I. Your grandpa may seem like a shaky old man to you now, but once he had steel hands and sharp eyes.

II. The best lesson you could ever learn is from your grandma: how to let your pain make you softer. Trust me, this is not a weakness.

III. Your uncle is lost. Maybe he won't always be; I don't know. I can't see into the future. But I hope he'll be found one day.

IV. Your dad... Your dad is a high-speed sports car with a clock set six hours behind. Don't worry. You can always trust his navigation.

V. Sometimes I think of petitioning the Pope to give your mom sainthood. She performed a miracle on your dad. I don't worry about him like I once did.

VI. So why do you have three grandmothers? Ask me again when you're 14, and I'll lay out the history of our patchwork family as best as I know it. They all love you, though. Always be sure of that.

VII. My wish for you is that you don't grow up by yourself. I hope your parents eventually give you a sibling. Siblings are the best allies. You need someone to look at you and say, "They're crazy but we're not." Cousins are well and good, but they're not the same type of ally. The boys always had each other, but I'm young enough that I was on my own.

VIII. I promise that, if you play hockey, I will do my best to care. (But please play basketball. Or football? I could get into football.)

IX. Please be nice to girls. Don't pull on anyone's pigtails, okay? If you like a girl, tell her. Never touch anyone without asking them or if they don't want you to. This is how to be a good man.

X. I'm sorry you're inheriting this world, kiddo. I hope we can make it better for you soon.

XI. I worry about a lot of things, but I don't worry about you. Not one bit. I'll let your parents do that. You're in the best hands with them.

XII. You are so loved.