Below is a letter to Allan from my (14-year-old, at the time) daughter Catherine. The paper was an assignment from school. The objective of the project was to write a letter to someone persuading them to take action about something.
Even though we were hesitant about sending the letter, we were encouraged by our friends and family (and even Catherine's teacher) to send it. I'm unsure if the letter ever made it to him, as there was no response.
While we understand the reasoning behind not responding to any of our efforts to the Schrages, I feel it's my responsibility to my family to be as transparent as possible and to share our journey.
Catherine Blair
Persuasion Letter
Language Arts
Fourth Period
May 26, 2017
Audience: 1
Dear Allan,
Hi. My name is Catey Blair. My Dad is Michael Blair. I am writing you today to talk to you about your situation with my family. I know that your situation focuses more with my Dad but I feel like behind my Dad, there are me and my sisters and that we have a voice in this situation, too.
I want you to know that my parents have spoken freely about you and your situation with my Dad. When my sisters and I were each about ten years old, my Dad told us that our Papa Steve was not our biological grandpa so we have all known that you have existed in the world for a while. Over the years I can remember my parents talking often about finding you and wondering who you were. You have always been someone we talked about, even when we didn’t have a name to call you. So you’ve always kind of been part of our lives and our family.
When we found out that my Dad had finally found you, my sisters and I felt relieved and happy. Then our Mom and Dad explained to us that you were not sure if you wanted to move ahead getting to know my Dad. They explained to us that sometimes this kind of news isn’t always happy for everyone and the shock of everything can be too much. Our parents told us we had to be patient and give you time to get used to the news that my Dad was in the world. My Mom explained to us that it was probably difficult for you to even think about my sisters and me because you were in shock about my Dad.
My sisters and I still feel like we have a say in this, too. If we could talk to you, we would tell you that we are excited to meet you one day. We want to tell you that we have always wondered about you and because we’ve talked about you for so long, we are excited to get to know you. I think you would like us. You would like my sister Rosie because she is so good with people. She talks and talks. When she was little, people nick named her Princess Blah Blah because she talks so much. Now that she’s older, she is someone who is easy to talk to and she’s really sweet. You would like my sister Jill because she’s so funny. She’s funny without knowing that she’s funny, which is the best kind of funny. From the couple of pictures that we have seen from your family, I can tell you that both my sisters look like your family. It’s weird because my parents always knew Rosie looks like my Dad but no one really knew who Jill looked like. She looks like a lot of your people, which is good to know. I look like my Mom’s side of the family so I don’t look like you very much.
I hope one day you will want to come over and have a cookout with my family. My Dad is great on the grill. He makes yummy food and my Mom is an amazing baker. She can make you a delicious dessert. My sisters and I could play you a song. We all play the piano and Jill plays the trumpet and I play the drums. We all like to sing and we are very musical. Do you like music? Do you play an instrument? We also are really good artists. Do you draw or paint? I wonder what things you like to do.
My Mom says that every person has a light inside of them that helps them move forward in life. She says it helps us get through tough times. She explained to me that when I was a born, half my light was ignited by her and half my light was ignited by my Dad and that together they started my flame. She said as I move through life, I will meet people who will continue to add fuel to my light and that in the end, I will hopefully feel happy and warm. I want you to know that my sisters and I all have very bright lights. So I know that the light we received from my Dad was full of good, which means he must have gotten some of that from you.
I hope over the summer you are able to find a resolution with yours and my Dad’s situation and I hope that in the end you choose to want to have a friendship with him because then we can have a friendship, too! If you are in, my sisters and I are all in, too.
Your Friend (and Granddaughter),
Catey Blair
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