Black and White

April 14th 2012,

Dear brother

I am glad we went out tonight for the flee market, and then decided to go for coffee instead. I'm glad you confide in me just a tiny piece of your teenage angst and struggle. Thank you. I know it takes a lot of trust and patience to tell an adult about how you feel. I've been there.

The truth is, sometimes you feel like you are all alone in life. You are with your struggles and you just have to carry on no matter what. That's life my dear. I am sorry you have to go through it. But I am glad, and proud, that you are making it pretty fine on your own.

I know sometimes you feel split up inside, as if you are a room of half black and half white, one person with so much angst and anger and yet you have to remain quiet and defeated in front of people. I know how that feel. I'm sorry. But as I told you, and I will tell you every step of your way, you are not alone in this. All you have to do is to look around and ask, I'll be there. I promise.

So brother, the future is scary. I know you are doing the best you can. So let us hang in there together. Things will change so fast and one day when you look back, you'll realize how silly the challenges today are and how much you learn from overcoming them.

That said, when you read this note a few years from now, if you still want to have that room that is half black and half white, I'll be damn sure to paint it for you

Love

Your "old" brother