Happy first night of Hanukkah! Mom wants to stall celebrations until I’m back home a few days from now, but I’m writing tonight. How are festivities going? Does Mom still give you presents? Mom stopped with me a few years ago now.
I’m using Halloween fake pumpkin candles since we’re not allowed any real ones in my dorm. I presume you have a real menorah; we have two back home, mysteriously. Do you still do any of the games, the meals? I miss childhood holidays — people want them to be fun and special when you’re little, but kind of give up when you’re about thirteen. It makes the present much more sad than already.
Wherever you are, I hope you have fun tonight. Hanukkah before 2016 is a blur to me now, except for the YouTube prayer and Elmo’s Veronica Monica and the Story of Hanukkah. I miss my memory, it is very poor now. I hope you’re at least making some nice ones now.
If you’re really here, Soren, reading these, don’t let me make you dismal. I hope you’re enjoying every day, but, if this has been to you anything like how it’s been to me, you’re probably not. I’ll try to extrapolate some emotions from you, if you don’t mind. You’ll get through this. Go have some latkes and, if it helps, try not to think about me or Mom or the Share side of the family. We will have holiday celebrations again someday.
With love,
Alice