Dear Sam

September 10, 2014

Dear Sam:

You don’t know me yet, but you will. And when you do, it will be my greatest honor to make sure that you are the happiest person alive. I’ve been chosen to be your personal bodyguard. I swear that I will take that job very seriously. I may not look like much, only 3’7 and 60 pounds soaking wet, but I promise that I can pack a mean punch.

Since we haven’t met, and the only picture I’ve seen of you was a blurry black and white photo, I have no idea what you look like. You don’t even have that much to go on with me. All you need to know is that I will be the one wearing black shorts and a red shirt with a funny face on it.

I’m so eager to meet you. Until then, I wish you peace.

Your Big Brother,

Harold

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September 25, 2014

Dear Sam:

I just wanted to talk about that picture I saw of you. It was so hard to tell what it was. You kind of look like a tadpole. I can’t believe that soon, very soon, that odd shape is going to be my baby brother. Well, you could be my baby sister. Mom and dad don’t know yet. I actually think a little sister would be better. Mom needs a girl that she can hang out with. I think she’s starting to treat me like I’m a girl. You should see the way she did my hair yesterday. I refused to go to school. You’ll learn what school is soon enough. Trust me. If you are a boy, you don’t want to go looking like a girl. I will love you whether you are a boy or a girl.

I’m so eager to meet you. Until then, I wish you peace.

Your Big Brother,

Harold

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October 19, 2014

Dear Sam:

Today, Mom and Dad were arguing over what color to paint your room. I wanted to laugh at them for making such a big fuss over such a little thing as the color of a room. We still don’t know if you are a boy or girl yet, so the standard pink for girls or blue for boys won’t work. They didn’t want to wait to get it started. Dad said yellow and Mom just gave him the evil eye. She said that yellow was an ugly color for a baby’s room. I agree with her, but I wasn’t going to say anything.

Mom chose grey. Really! Grey! Why would she pick grey. She said that grey is a neutral color. It can go for a boy or a girl. Dad reminded her that the same thing can be said about yellow. I don’t like either one of them. So, I suggested purple. Purple is the color of royalty. You are going to be treated like a queen. Or maybe a king.

Your Big Brother,

Harold

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October 20, 2014

Dear Sam:

Since we don’t know what you are yet, your name could be Samuel Donold Grady or Samanthia Deniece Grady. We don’t know yet. More than likely we’re going to continue to call you Sam no matter what you are.

I love you.

Your Big Brother,

Harold

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November 1, 2014

Dear Sam:

Wow! I wish you could see your bedroom. I know that you will. And you will love it when you do. It’s the perfect ombre effect of purple. It starts with a darker shade at the top and gets lighter as it comes down. I made sure that they stopped before it turned pink. Purple will do that if it gets too light. Remember, you don’t want a pink bedroom if you are a boy. If you’re a girl, it won’t be that bad, maybe a little typical, but not bad.

Unfortunately, your bed looks like a cage. But all baby beds do. When you get older, they will let you choose your own bed. Mine looks like a race car. You also have a whole lot of cool toys. Some of them are from me. I’m happy to share my toys with you. There is a nice chair. A first, Mom will sit in the chair while she holds you. She said that when you’re big enough, she’ll let me hold you too. I can’t wait. I love you already.

Your Big Brother,

Harold

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November 17, 2014

Dear Sam,

Something happened today that, if you are anything like me, you will love. Snow. Snow is this wonderful frozen white stuff that falls from the sky. If enough fall, you can make snow castles and snowballs and snow men, and snow women and snow angles. You can have snowball fights. Don’t worry. They aren’t real fights. We throw snowballs at each other. They don’t hurt. It’s fun. I can teach you the best way to make a snowball.

The greatest thing of all about the snow is what they call a snow-day. On a snow-day, school is closed. Don’t get me wrong. School is good. You get to learn a lot of cool things. You get to do art projects. You get to meet other kids. Although some of them are not that kind. But Mom and Dad will teach you how to deal with bullies. And I will be there to protect you.

A snow-day is a day that you will normally have to go to school. But with the school being closed, you’ll have more time for snow castles and snowballs and snow men, and snow women and snow angles and snowball fights. School can be stressful. A snow-day allows you to unwind and have some fun. It gives you a chance to play in the snow when normally you can’t. You’ll love the snow. I know it.

Your Big Brother,

Harold

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December 5, 2014

Dear Sam,

I just wanted to give you a warning about school. It’s not always good. I was in gym class today. We were playing basketball when Bobby Hanson pushed me and knocked me down. I hurt my knee and had to go to the nurse to get a bandage put on it. I wanted to beat him up, but Mom always said, “repay evil with evil to no one.” It turned out that it was a good thing that I listened to Mom. When I saw him again, he apologized. He didn’t mean to knock me down. In the end, I made a new friend. You’ll get the chance to meet him. The point that you should take away from this is, don’t be too quick to take offense. Not all things are as they seem. At least that’s what Dad said.

Your Big Brother,

Harold

--

December 10, 2014

Dear Sam,

Mom went to the doctor’s office today and bought back another picture of you. It turns out that you are a girl. I’m going to have a baby sister. Mom and Dad are going to have a daughter. So, Samanthia. Samanthia Deniece Grady. It has a nice ring to it,

A girl means that I have to protect you even that much more. I’m not saying that a girl can’t protect herself. I’ve seen Mom protect herself and me many times. However, whenever Dad is around, she allows him to be the protector. It is a man’s job to protect the woman. That’s what Dad told me. Then he told me never to let Mom know that he said that. I don’t know why. He said that’s just best.

I’m really going to love having a little sister. I look forward to teaching you everything I know.

Your Big Brother,

Harold

--

December 15, 2014

Dear Sam,

We found out something that you may find wonderful. Aunt Becky is also having a baby. We don’t know if it’s a boy or a girl yet. If it’s a boy, his name will be Patrick Lemar Kindle. If it’s a girl, her name will be Patrice Lynda Kindle. Whatever it turns out to be, you’re going to have a baby cousin soon after you’re born. You’re going to have a lot to teach him. Or her.

I’m sure you will love your cousin as much as I will love you. That’s if they don’t get rid of it. I asked them not to do it.

Your Big Brother,

Harold

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December 31, 2014

Dear Sam,

Just a quick warning. Tonight, you might hear a lot of noise. It will sound like explosions. Don’t be scared. That’s just something they do every year. I don’t know why. But I will always be here to protect you.

Your Big Brother,

Harold

--

March 3, 2015

Dear Sam,

I’m sorry that I haven’t written you much lately, but Mom have been sick. You were sick also. We thought that we were going to lose both of you. But you two are in the hands of some very good doctors. You both are in our prayers.

I still love you. I always will.

Your Big Brother,

Harold

--

April 9, 2015

Dear Sam,

I visited Mom in the hospital today. They let me listen to your heart beat. I thought it was cool. Dr. Connie said that it was getting stronger, but it still had a little way to go. The good news is that both of you are getting better. I recorded your heart beat. I’m going to play it for you one day.

Your Big Brother,

Harold

--

May 12, 2015

Dear Sam,

Today is a day that you will always remember. Today is your birthday. Mom was not able to deliver you the normal way. The doctor had to cut her open to get you out of her. It sounded gross to me, but they say that a lot of babies are born that way.

You were born 6 pounds and 7 ounces. You are 18.7 inches long. They told me that that is the normal size for a baby, but I was amazed at how tiny you are. Don’t think anything of your small size. Dad told me that I was even smaller. Look at me now. I’ve grown, and so will you.

They are going to have to keep you both in the hospital for a little while. But you will be home and see your room soon.

I do love you. I always will.

Your Big Brother,

Harold

--

May 26, 2015

Dear Sam,

Today, you saw your room for the first time. From the smile on your face, I assumed you loved it very much. Now that you are home, I won’t need to write you letters any more. I can talk to you and look at you while doing it.

Your Big Brother,

Harold

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May 12, 2025

Dear Sam,

Today you turn 10 years old. Before you were born, I used to write letters to you all the time. I knew that you could not actually read them, but I had a motive for doing so. Based on how sick she was when I was born, Mom and Dad decided to end her pregnancy. They knew that Mom could get sick again if she had another child. If they had done so, you would have never seen your beautiful bedroom. You would never have had the wonderful taste of chocolate on your tongue. You would never have enjoyed your first day of school. You would never have witnessed your first snow-day or made your first snow castle or snowball or snow man or snow woman or snow angle.

So, I wrote you letters to show that you were already my little sister, even when you looked like a tadpole.

Your Big Brother,

Harold

P.S. Watch out for Patrick, he’s going to try to scare you again.

This was inspired by an anonymous work entitled “Diary of an Unborn Child”. You can read it here: https://wol.jw.org/en/wol/d/r1/lp-e/101980366?q=unborn+child&p=doc