From the Two Stars Above Your House

My dearest …,

There has been a star over this house for as long as you have been in it. As of this week there are two. I wanted to write to the one who was here first, because everybody is going to be writing to the new one for a while: .

Let me be straightforward with you, , because I suspect nobody else will be. Some of this is going to be annoying. The baby will be loud at bad times, and will get held a great deal, and people will come to the house and go straight past you to look at it. You are allowed to find that irritating. Finding it irritating does not mean you do not love them.

But here is what I can actually see from up here, and it is the thing I most want you to have. Nothing was taken off you and given to the baby. That is not how it works. A second star did not make the first one dimmer — I checked, I am the first one — there is just more light over this house than there was last week.

You are the only person this baby will ever have who has been here the whole time. They are going to watch you constantly and copy everything you do, which is a great deal of responsibility and also, frankly, very funny. I heard about . You are going to be extremely good at this.

Shining over both of you now,
which is twice the work and no trouble at all —

The Star Above Your House

Now Two of Us

P.S. — On the days it is too much, say so out loud to somebody big. That is not complaining. That is just telling the truth early, which is much easier than telling it late.