Sikik Eegeesiak, a friend of Johnny and Ronee' 's mother, Louisiana, writes the kids a letter after they took the time to write a thank you letter to her.
Saturday, October 16, 2004, Barrow, Alaska~
Dear Johnny and Ronee' Le-Anne:
What a nice thank you letter from you two! What a delightful letter; it was so nice to hear from you again! I hope this letter finds the two of you well and happy!
I am glad you are having fun at your fair; and Ronee', I am so happy to hear that you got to sing with Loretta Lynn! Did you know that Loretta Lynn so happens to be one of my favorite singers? She IS! I just LOVE her songs, and she is such a talented singer, too, besides! Good for you! You are going to be a very big star in country music if you keep up the good work!
As for you, Johnny, I am happy that school is going so much better for you! I know with help, you will succeed, and it appears that you are headed right in the correct direction! I am sorry that kids used to tease you; but you know something? If kids do tease you, they are the ones with the problem, NOT you, and if they can't see beyond your disabilities, well, then, screw them! I am sorry for saying it like that, but you are a wonderful little boy, and I admire your spunk and will to live in face of having a serious disease that you can't really do anything about! You are a very brave young man, and I admire your spunk and courage! If kids tease you in the future all you have to do is ignore them or wheel your chair away from them and not let them know that their teasing bothers you. It's the best way to deal with this situation; I know, because I was teased too because when I was a little girl, I had a stammer to my speech, and the kids used to make fun of my stuttering. It was so hard at times, but eventually, as time went on, they stopped, especially when I learned to ignore them and let them know that I wasn't about to let their teasing bother me.
I am glad that your package got there in one piece. I was just starting to wonder if you had gotten it. If not, I was going to go to the post office and raise a stink about it! LOL Or have them put a "tracer" on it, to see if they could locate it. But I am glad that you got it, and I am glad you enjoyed your gifts!
We have our state fair in August, when the weather is still relatively warm; and it goes on for a week or so, not quite as long as yours in Tennessee. If we had it now, we would have to worry about cold temps and snow; the first snow flakes have started flying, and it is getting colder by the week. By winter time we will be in the teens for highs and in the single digits (or even below) for the lows. So if you wanted to come here to Alaska now, you would probably freeze yourselves and turn into human icebergs! LOL (I know it wouldn't sit well with your painful little joints, Ronee', but I would make sure to keep you as warm as possible and bundle you up. Then you'd look like an Inuk girl! LOL)
I hope to hear from you again. I have to go now because my Mother is calling me and I have to make sure that she is okay. My mother is elderly, and she has some health problems. She recently had pneumonia, and she is still battling in overcoming its effects. She was in the hospital for a while; and I was really worried about her; but she got better. She is still not quite up to where she was before she got sick, but she IS getting better each and every day. I will also have to check on Father; he isn't well either; but he is doing better than Mother is. I also have to feed the dogs; it is about their dinner time. So before they decide to eat ME for dinner, I had better scoot and take care of things!
I will write to you again; am looking forward to hearing from you both and also your mother! You are such delights; and you make my life so complete! Thank you for being a friend to this lonely Inuk woman in the middle of nowhere! Blessings to you and your entire family! Hopefully I can meet the rest of your family one day; that would be nice!
Take care!
Love, your new friend in Alaska, Sikik Grace Eegeesiak. :)
P.S.: Ronee', I thank you for telling me how to say your last name. I was wondering how you said it! LOL
P.P.S.: This is how my brothers and sisters say I look when I don't get enough sleep at night. They say I look (and act) worse than a grumpy old grizzly bear! LOL This is one of our grizzlies here in Alaska; he looks kinda' mad about something....LOL
Yankee Doodle Daddy is a historical Appalachian Family Saga. The story follows a mother's reckoning as she struggles to survive and keep her four daughters alive.
Saturday, October 16, 2004, Barrow, Alaska~
