Dear Boy,

In a little more than a month you will become a teenager. Although we have been through best of times together (so many I can’t fathom talking about them without crying like a baby), there have also been difficult times.

Our relationship throughout the years has been a rollercoaster ride; our emotions going up and down unexpectedly, then sighing with relief when the scary parts are over.

However, I am proud of the man you are trying to become, even when you try so hard that things don’t go the way you or I planned them. I am proud of the qualities I want you to have as person and the qualities you want to define yourself by. I am proud of your strength, your personality, and your constant optimism.

I have been lucky enough to see you grow not only with my eyes but also through my lens. Best of all, it’s all there for me to re visit any time I want. I can keep your smile or your frown forever; the twinkle in your eyes and your natural poses are mine to savor when you take your flight.

Now that you’re going to be a teenager I ask only one thing: please allow me to continue photographing you. Let me still be a part of your life. Let me and my camera hang out with you.

Please don’t shut me out.

Sincerely,

Your Mother, Maite