Dear Kaylee,

When you went for your check-up at the doctor’s office last week, your mommy worried about one thing…

Shots!

Your mommy says, “I hate needles!”

Did you know that when your mommy or daddy are afraid of something, you will probably be, too? Yes, we can learn fears from our parents and we are really good at picking them up from a very early age. It didn’t do me much good to remind your mommy not to get too freaked out when you got your shots, because she was probably going to start tearing up after the first one anyway.

And you got five shots! Ouchy!

There are many things your mommy doesn’t like. Snakes and lizards are definitely up there, for example. That is why it is such a good idea that your mommy and daddy bought a house in a semi-arid desert area-

Perfect home for snakes and lizards!

Kaylee, this is an example of a useful tool of language (if you are gentle)-

Sarcasm.

Back to the needles. Your mommy doesn’t like needles and blood. Yet, she wanted to go to school to be a doctor. She got a scholarship to study to be a doctor, but right before she started, she told me and Nana she didn’t want to be a doctor. How could she when she didn’t like needles and blood?! We didn’t mind, though, because if you are going to have a job, you want to do things you enjoy and are really passionate about (We didn’t mind also, because she got to keep her scholarship, too!).

It is good your mommy is a teacher. Especially a math teacher. This will come in real handy as you get older. Just take my word for it.

Kaylee, let me tell you one more thing about shots. Grandpa didn’t like to get shots either. I remember when I was a little boy I had to go to the doctor’s office and get a shot. I was afraid and I didn’t want one. So, when the nurse pulled down my pants to give me the shot, I got away and started running out of the doctor’s office!

The office was on the second floor above a bank. I ran screaming, out of the waiting room and got to the stairs and made it down into the bank lobby before anyone caught me.

I was pretty fast even with my pants pulled partway down!

I still got the shot, though. It’s really good for us to let doctor and nurses help take care of us. Maybe, another reason I was so afraid of going to the doctor was his name. Kaylee, I am not making this up. You can ask Great Grandpa Hanson. His name was…

Dr. Shott!

Love,

Grandpa