It hasn't been an easy few weeks..

My daughter, Erin, has been struggling in school with her focus and following multiple-step directions, and as a result she's not as excited about kindergarten as she used to be. After being put in special early morning classes and working with specialists during school, I think it's making her feel like she just isn't able to do it. As a mom, it breaks my heart. I wish I could be here more often, but I work constantly. It's hard to find ways to encourage her sometimes.

One of the main things that Erin loves unconditionally are superheroes. She's a huge fan of the Flash, and especially the Teen Titans. She herself goes by Ghost Girl - lord of the Creepers. Being a superhero and playing with her figures lets her do or be anything. The timing for the gift was perfect.. We had just walked home from school when the mailman knocked at the door. The package was addressed to Ghost Girl.

Opening the large box we saw 2 envelopes- one for me and one for Erin. I was really surprised.. our Santa had contacted me asking if they could send her a little something, but since I had already received 2 amazing vinyl gifts for myself a few days before (Art of War Dunnys!), I was not expecting anything. In my envelope was a letter and a sheet of paper folded beautifully into a heart. I was instructed not to unfold the heart until after reading the letter.

Cyali's message was absolutely beautiful, and I could never thank her enough for the acknowledgement. As a single mom with my family on the other side of the country, it can kinda suck sometimes to not have that support. Having someone send me words of encouragement feels amazing beyond words. after reading the letter I opened the folded paper heart and found a $30.00 manicure/pedicure voucher to a local salon! I've never done that sort of thing, but I look forward to it on a day off :)

Moving on to Erin's letter: it was the highlight of whole box for me. I am still without the right words to express how much it meant to me and my daughter. It was everything Erin needed to hear- and more. I read it to her as she pulled out all of the Teen Titans, screaming after seeing each one of them.

The last one was Starfire.

from the letter:

"One of them is even soft and snuggly, just in case you need a friend to snuggle with at night. She also loves to see new places, so I'm sure she'd like to go with you to school too!" This made Erin smile so wide I could cry just thinking about it. She could not have a better friend to help her through this tough time. I have a feeling that these Teen Titans are going to be seeing a lot of action in the near future!

Thank you, Cyali. I don't think you could know how big of a deal this is. Seriously, thank you. The redditgifts exchanges have been one of my favorite things to do with my daughter. She loves helping me put together fun boxes and seeing if the person receiving them in a faraway place is happy with them. The personalized care and kindness we've gotten in return has been incredible. thank you all.

...and sorry for having this be so long!