[Dear You. . .]

[cassiesmom]

Dear O.,

You texted to ask if I wanted to meet you for breakfast. You already chewed me out for being slow to respond to your texts and I promised to try to do better. I replied with what I thought was a clear answer and you threw it right back at me again. I felt like I was getting resistance from you by saying "I'm sorry, I can't". I was hurt when you said I'm not doing anything. I don't want to disclose to you how I spend each day. I also don't want to spend $15 on breakfast right now- that's an expense I'd rather not incur. So please, I need you to accept "I can't" as a complete answer for the time being. Don't throw it back at me, because that puts me on the defensive. I'll let you know when I can afford to eat out again.

Thank you for understanding,
Your friend who's watching every dollar these days

[cassiesmom]

Dear Novel Coronavirus:

I am sick of you messing with my life. I want to go to a restaurant or be able to grocery shop without having to race through the store in a tearing hurry. I'd really like to go get a haircut and to accompany an elderly family member not only to the doctor's office, but to stay with them during the visit (this is so important to me because their memory is failing and they need a support person to make the appointment a success). Now that I've cleaned out some drawers, I want to take the "donate" box to the Goodwill store. I want to go to the domestic violence program's consignment shop, which I've heard so many great things about from, like, everyone I know. You caused festivals and state fairs to be cancelled. The Illinois state fair is not such a big deal, but no trip to the Wisconsin state fair means I don't get a freshly made cream puff (scratch-made puff pastry and you watch the cream being whipped on-site) and a coffee for an entire year. I can't go to the zoo or the arboretum, I can't enjoy the Chicago Botanic Garden. Not only is the entire season gone from the Ravinia Festival but now the Lyric Opera has cancelled their entire fall season as well. You're taking people's livelihoods away.

Here's the other problem. You're making people really, really sick. Respiratory failure and sepsis and blood dyscrasias and more. You're making good people critically ill for extended periods of time. You're creating stress and fatigue for my friends and co-workers. Because of you we can't let family members in to visit our patients, and that's one of the most difficult parts of the pandemic for me. Patients need the support of their families, and when the patient can't respond, we need family members to help us coordinate our care because they know the patient a lot better than we do. You need to just go away, like, forever.

Scram (and take a few other sucky diseases with you).
Signed,
Overwhelmed nurse

[Karen]

Well stated.

[cassiesmom]

Dear O.,
I'm not willing to discuss my weight management or other health issues with you. I'm not interested in having you teach me how to grocery shop or cook - I already know how to do those things. If you're looking for someone to be a life coach for, it will not be me. I'm sure you can find someone else who would like that kind of help once you start looking. If you decide to take early retirement that might be an effective second career for you. But it will not be me.

Thank you for the offer,
Your friend who's still watching every dollar these days

[cassiesmom]

Dear Baseball,
Wouldn't it be ironic (and mean) to have the Cubs and the White Sox playing in the World Series with no fans in the stands. Please lose the recorded crowd noise- it sounds "fake" without the people in their seats.

Thanks,
One who bleeds Cubby blue

[phesina]

If the Cubs and the White Sox actually do win their league championships, then would all the World Series games be played in Chicago?

Just curious!...

[cassiesmom]

If the Cubs and the White Sox actually do win their league championships, then would all the World Series games be played in Chicago?

Just curious!...

Nope. I just heard on the news that the play-offs will be in Texas and/or California this year.

[cassiesmom]

Dear O.,

You texted to ask if I wanted to meet you for breakfast. You already chewed me out for being slow to respond to your texts and I promised to try to do better. I replied with what I thought was a clear answer and you threw it right back at me again. I felt like I was getting resistance from you by saying "I'm sorry, I can't". I was hurt when you said I'm not doing anything. I don't want to disclose to you how I spend each day. I also don't want to spend $15 on breakfast right now- that's an expense I'd rather not incur. So please, I need you to accept "I can't" as a complete answer for the time being. Don't throw it back at me, because that puts me on the defensive. I'll let you know when I can afford to eat out again.

Thank you for understanding,
Your friend who's watching every dollar these days

Dear O.,

Once bitten, twice shy. That's me. I agreed to go with you based on our conversation from last summer and my promise to try to do better. You criticized me about so many things I don't even know where to start. Hair, make-up and fashion. There's a lot about me that calls attention in negative ways- my gait, my weight. I'm a plain Jane because I don't seek any more attention than that. Having just been the center of attention for a few months, I have now decided that I don't want to be in that position anymore. I'm perfectly comfortable with my choices of hair style, dress and make-up. I wish I had a nickel for every "You should..." I heard during our conversation. You don't know about another conversation I'd had the previous day that had already put a big nick in my self-esteem. So I felt pretty awful when I got home. Then you threw it to me again by text because you objected to the choice I made about how to spend the evening. Sorry, not sorry about that one.

Once again I need you to accept "I can't" as a complete answer. It's been almost a year since we had this conversation the first time and I am not willing to discuss it any further. You might not hear from me for awhile until I have healed from this. You claimed you weren't saying these things to hurt me, but I'm having a very hard time believing that.

Please respect my silence.

[cassiesmom]

Dear PT Friends,
I am very thankful for you! Happy Holidays--
Best,
Elyse

[Vette]

dear me... make your bed after you first wake up cuz you know youll get too busy to make it later and forget (or just be too lazy to make it 'if' you remember to) .o.

[cassiesmom]

To the Chicago Bears: What the heck happened yesterday?!
To O.: No, thank you, I don't want to meet you for brunch.
To L.: I wish I'd known you were in town. I'm sorry I didn't get to see you.
To me: Christmas is a week from today. You better get your act together!