Make Your Mama Proud, Be Real

“Once You Are Real You Can’t Become Unreal Again. It Lasts for Always.” —Skin Horse, The Velveteen Rabbit by Margery Williams

My daughter sat curled up with a book in the living room, waiting for me to finish her twin sister’s bedtime routine. She was quieter than usual, the kind of quiet that signals an important conversation. I sat down close to her, eager to listen. I didn’t have to probe. She whispered with a slight stutter, chest concave, big blue eyes teary:

“Mom, no matt…