Dear Readers, When I was a sixth-grader, I developed an advice column for our fledgling school paper where I wrote both the inquiry letters and responses. Inspired by Abby Van Buren and E. Jean Carroll, I wished to carve my own pathway to poring over reader letters and offering my well-crafted perspectives, and as an eleven- year-old sage, I relished the opportunity to try my hand at this format. But full transparency, none of the students at Grantham Middle School ever wrote to me. I made up all of the letters from readers.
However, from the very first day this column was published, I began receiving letters and emails from real-live actual readers! I wasn’t even aware that my column had gone to print when I received an email notification from Carlton Carl in Martindale, to congratulate me on my column, relish in his fond nostalgia of summers in Portugal and offer suggestions of what to call my column. Sadly, Mr. Carl passed away this spring, and when I heard the news, I went straight back to my inbox to savor his kind words. I truly relish the engagement that this column fosters, and I am honored to collect your messages.
This week, one message that arrived in my DMs reminded me of something worth sharing: People are indeed watching us — quietly rooting for us, from across the room, across the river and across the world:
