Dear Our Beloved Son,
   I noticed at dinner the other day you didn’t pray with us. You meekly did the sign of the cross and even snuck some bits of mashed potatoes before we prayed. As you know this is unacceptable behavior. I thought we made it very clear that we do not eat before we pray and that we all join together in giving God our grace. At home this can somewhat slide, however do not dare to do this at Sunday night dinner at Nanas and Poppys. They will have a heart attack and probably die on the spot. Clean your act up before then please. We are saying this because we love you.

Love,
Mom and Dad
 
 
 
 

Dear Eager Recipient,
   On behalf of the Catholic Church, we want to congratulate you on your decision to get confirmed. As you may know Confirmation is one of the seven sacraments and is not to be taken lightly. You will be required to take a month-long course to ensure that you have prepared and are ready to give your life to God. Make sure you memorize the prayer to the Holy Spirit. Also remember to choose your patron Saint. Thank you for your courageous decision and we will see you soon!

Sincerely,
The Catholic Church
 
 
 
 

Dear Mom and Dad,
   I have been learning a lot in school! I am super excited because I am in super interesting classes. My two favorite classes are ethics and earth science. In earth science we learned about how the universe was created. Apparently, the whole entire universe was created from something called the big bang. Some atoms clashed together and created a whole universe! I also am learning in ethics class about good and bad. The most interesting concept is who is to decide what is “good” and what is “bad”. Learning all this new stuff has made me realize some things. I know you might not agree but I don’t believe in God anymore. That doesn’t mean I don’t believe in good and bad values, just not the whole religion and their concepts. I would love to talk soon! Love you both always.

Love,
Your Only Son
 
 
 
 

Dear Lost Sheep,
   I have been watching you closely now, ever since we became entwined after Confirmation. I am beyond thankful that you chose me to be your patron Saint. It is an honor for me since you have been doing such a good job following God’s directed path. I do regret to inform you however I need your help. I noticed that you do not believe in God anymore, that is a great shame. I know you are still growing and have a lot of decisions, but God should always be a part of your life. I am here if you need help just say my prayer and I will be with you to help guide you. You are not in this alone my child. Please reach out to me, I haven’t heard from you in a while.

Sincerely,
Saint Francis of Assisi
 
 
 
 

Dear My Worst Mistake,
   When I created you, I had high hopes for you. You had so much potential and the possibilities of what you could accomplish were endless. My dear Saint Francis has reached out to me explaining your situation. He came to me in tears about how you lost your faith and how he is connected to you in Confirmation. As you know Confirmation cannot be undone. It saddens me that you can be so careless and take that sacred oath then reject it. I noticed you still use the name Francis, which is what you chose for Confirmation. I kindly ask you to stop using that name since you no longer affiliate yourself with the Catholic Church. If you do not stop, I will have to take action, thank you.

Sincerely,
The Ever-Powerful God
 
 
 
 

Dear Son,
   We saw the new tattoos and piercings you got. We do not approve! Especially of the cross and Anarchy symbol on your hand. How dare you put that stuff on your body. Because of your decisions we will be cancelling your bank account and cards. Do not try to contact us since we will block your number. We have told your sisters to do the same.

From,
The Ones You Hurt The Most
 
 
 
 

Dear A Younger Enlightened One,
   You are so much stronger than you think you are. Like Robert Frost poem you are taking the path less traveled. I know he didn’t and that’s debated but that’s the one you took. I promise you everything will be ok. Your parents will get through their time of struggling and start to talk to you. They will try to learn from you about your new path. They are good people, your family are good people, you are a good person. Stick to your values and beliefs and you will see a brighter future!

Love,
Your Future Self
 
 
 

Robbie Beach is a senior at St. John Fisher university working on his major in biology with a minor in philosophy. He is from Rochester, New York and enjoys writing poems and short essays to express his emotions. When he is not writing or studying, you can find him hard at work with his job, playing video games, and spending time with friends playing darts.