I have always been what you’d call a “late” person. In fact, my mother likes to say my birth 31 years ago was the first and last time I was ever early.
I missed the bus so many times in elementary school that my dad once forced me to walk the three long miles to get there. He thought it would teach me a lesson about punctuality early. (Spoiler alert: It didn’t.) In the years since, I’ve been late to weddings, first dates, Bat Mitzvahs, and birthday parties (mine included). Oh, and I nearly missed my college graduation ceremony.
So I have a lot of sympathy for 14-year-old Cara Poppic who, much like myself, seems to suffer from a bad case of chronic tardiness.
Her mom, however, has zero sympathies. Literally none.
It seems that after running late to school earlier this month and causing a bit of morning drama, Cara’s mom Nicole decided to pen an honest missive to the attendance office, announcing the true reason why her daughter was late yet again. And it is honestly one of the funniest things I’ve read in a while.
“To Whom It May Concern,” the letter begins. “Cara is tardy this morning as a result of a condition known as teenage-ism.”
LOL.
The letter continues:
“Adolescents across our great nation are afflicted, and there is no known cure. Symptoms are multitudinous, but this particular morning she suffered from an inability to remove herself from her bed, and also felt the need to talk back to her birth-giver.”
“She seems to be recovering her senses after watching her cell phone fly out the car window. Please call me if there is another flare-up.”
I gotta say: Cara’s mom is one funny lady. And ultimately (now that she’s cooled down from that chaotic morning), a forgiving one.
“I am very proud of her and I love being her mom. She was just having a bad morning,” Nicole later wrote on Facebook, after sharing the note. “Still, I feel it is important for all of my children to realize that no matter what kind of mood a person is in, they are still responsible for their own actions and they are expected to be aware of how those actions affect other people.”
The letter, which was shared on the Love What Matters Facebook page earlier this week, has since gone pretty viral — with over 22K likes and 5K shares so far.
One thing’s for sure: Having your mom write a note to your school, detailing your tardiness and exposing the fact that you got your phone tossed out the window is embarrassing. Having it go viral? Now that’s a whole other level.
But hey, maybe this will be just what Cara needs to ensure she’s never late to school ever again.
… or not, if I’m any indication of what the future could hold for this kid.