M is for Mad. And that's OK.

Dear Sophie,

It's been six days since your surgery, and today was especially hard for you. When we looked at the "ABCs of Feelings" book, you pointed to "M for Mad." I'm sorry we've been so tired since your surgery and we cannot be present and be with you.

You got quite upset when mommy and I had to leave you with Amy after dinner. Amy told us you were so frustrated that you kicked the glass door and tossed some things around. That's OK, you were missing mommy.

I see that you, like me and mommy, are sensitive with your feelings, people, and places around us. It's OK to be this way; mummy is just like you - very sensitive, and I am too, though I tend to keep it to myself. Emotionally sensitive people like us tend to notice quickly when something's off, even if we can't always explain why. And that's OK too! It just means we need to work a bit more on understanding and managing those big feelings.

Love,

Dad