Adjustments

Dear Addie,

It’s been an adjustment.

Sister and brother headed back to their schools, and suddenly our everyday looked and sounded different. A quietness has settled over our home, and everything just feels…different.

You headed back to school too, and you were SO excited to be there. Watching you be excited about something so ordinary and so meaningful at the same time has been a gift, especially while you’ve been navigating relapses, adjusting treatment plans, and carrying more than anyone your age should have to.

Our schedules are filling up again, with follow-up appointments, new appointments, and all the things that come with getting closer, but somewhat still trying to find the right path forward. And if I’m being completely honest, part of me is sad. I just want this to be over for you. I want you to have the freedom to simply be a regular 15yo kid, to go to school, make plans, laugh with your friends, and not have your life marked by appointments, treatments, and setbacks.

But I’m also incredibly proud of you. Just a year ago we were in a very different place.

(August 2025)

You keep showing up. You keep moving forward. Even when the path changes, even when it’s harder than it should be, you keep finding your way.

(August 2026 of course wearing your favorite skeleton shirt)

So we’ll keep adjusting. We’ll keep showing up. We’ll keep taking it one day at a time. And we’ll keep being right here beside you, hoping for the day when this chapter is behind you, while believing in all the beautiful chapters still ahead. ❤️

Love,

Mom