Dear Kate,
When I placed an ad on Sittercity looking for a babysitter for the kids almost five years ago, I had my fingers crossed that I’d have some luck finding someone decent. But I wasn’t holding my breath. Just like those online dating sites, you never know who’s being honest when they post their profile.
So when I got your email and saw your picture I thought to myself, really? Is this really what she looks like? And then when I finally talked to you after taking forever to get back to you (and Thank God you were still available) and learned that you were a swimmer at UCONN and lived five minutes down the road I really thought it was too good to be true.
But it wasn’t.
That first day you showed up here at our house, I don’t know how it was for you, but for us it was love at first sight.
I think all the time about how lucky we were to find you.
But I really don’t think it was luck.
You were supposed to enter our lives. I know it. And I’d like to think that we were supposed to enter yours.
You came to be known as CCB (Cool College Babysitter) here on the blog.
It wasn’t long before, as Number 4 said, you were officially the tenth member of our family.
You don’t have kids yet, but to have someone who genuinely enjoys being with your children, who keeps them safe, (especially around the pool) and who loves them like they were her own family is a pretty rare. And it’s a big deal.
You weren’t just a great caretaker for the kids, though. You were also an amazing role model. Especially for the girls. And I’m glad they had a chance to see you in action in the pool. (Sidenote: Holy shit I was huge back then).
When you graduated from college, I was afraid you’d slowly disappear from our lives. But you didn’t. Thank God you got a job close to home.
Of course you continued to be awesome. You took the girls to work with you.
You still stopped by in the summer to check in.
You and I even got to run some races together.
You’d randomly show up and crash a date night (I should have cut my hair a long time ago).
Then you started coaching!
You’ve been there for birthdays and dance recitals.
And you have been a big supporter of the 5K races I’ve directed in my brother’s memory.
Kate, you have been here not just for the kids, but for all of us these past five years. And we are always going to be there for you.
When you pulled into my driveway that day a year and a half ago, got out of your car and broke down, my heart broke.
When you told me that your cousin had been killed in a tragic and freak accident, I tried to find something to say to make you feel better. I don’t know if I did. I wish I could have done something more.
Tomorrow you are doing something pretty big. Your first marathon.
I was supposed to run it with you, but unexpected emergencies and then being sick these last two months threw too big of a wrench into things and I just can’t do it.
I feel bad because I wanted to be standing right next to you on that start line. (Although if we are going to be honest, we both know that’s the only time we actually would have been running “together” because you totally would have kicked my ass no matter how much training I was able to do).
So anyway, I won’t be right next to you at the start line tomorrow morning.
But I will be there on the sidelines. Cheering for you. Cause when I ran my first marathon you were there on the sidelines for me. We even stopped to take a picture around the 20 mile mark.
Remember that?
When you get to the 20 mile mark tomorrow, I will be screaming. Maybe we can even take another picture.
The fact that you are running a marathon is huge.
And the fact that you are running it in your cousin’s honor and memory is just awesome.
I know you are nervous. You don’t need to be, though.
Kate, you are clearly extremely beautiful.
But you are also smart and funny and responsible and hardworking.
And you are tough and ridiculously strong and a total bad ass in general.
You’ve got nothing to worry about. Just enjoy the whole experience.
And know that you will be surrounded by so many people you love tomorrow, supporting you and cheering you on, some of them here on Earth, and some of them watching over you from up above.
You are going to make a lot of people proud tomorrow. Hopefully the person who feels the most proud is you.
I wish I had the strength to say this to you in person, but, well, I’m sitting here bawling as I type it. And I don’t want to get snot all over your clothes. So I hope it’s okay that I wrote it down here for you (as well as the whole world) to read. Now you’ll have the energy of thousands of people all over the country (and world!) cheering you on in the morning.
You’re gonna fucking kill it tomorrow, Kate.
And then when you’re all done, we’ll grab a couple beers, raise a glass, and toast your cousin Connor.
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