Finally Seen

by Kelly Yang

“When your kid disagrees with the way you see the world, nothing hurts more. That’s God’s honest truth. You feel like you’ve failed as a parent—how did I not raise someone who gets me? What did I do wrong?” Finn’s dad takes a long breath. “The answer is, nothing. Because kids are not clones. Do I wish that my son and I could talk our heads off about football all day long? Absolutely,” he admits. Then a small smile forms. “But I also raised a reader. When I got home, you know what I did? I ordered a new copy of Fumble to replace his copy that I threw in the pizza—and I ordered myself a copy. And you know what? I kinda like the kid in the story. The kid can’t play football to save his life, but he’s funny. And he cares about his family. And I do too.” Finn’s mom smiles. I can see Finn blinking furiously under his glasses—he’s so moved. “So I thank you, his school, for having books like Fumble and Flea Shop on your shelves. Thank you for making this place bigger. So that the kids who go here… don’t just get exposed to one tiny slice of life. And the adults don’t either.”