'A portrait of my children, once a week, every week in 2016.'
By now, you will be aware that I have written letters to each of you individually since you were born. This week, I have decided to write you a joint letter in light of the events of this week. Today marks half way through 2016, and Friday was perhaps the most momentous day of the year so far. If not the most momentous, certainly, the most historic moment of the year. A referendum took place where everyone aged 18 and over had the chance to vote to decide if the United Kingdom (currently consisting of England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales - who knows if it will still look the same by the time you are old enough to read and understand these letters) would like to remain a part of the European Union or leave and effectively be independent. Our entire family (us, your Aunts and Uncles and Grandparents) all wanted to remain in the E.U. However, 52% of the people who voted wanted to leave the E.U, and so they won the referendum. For my entire lifetime, we have been a part of the European Union, and so I have never known what it's like for our country to distance itself from all of the other EU countries, and you will grow up never knowing a time when we haven't been independent of it. (Which will be the case, unless something revolutionary happens, like a second referendum, which is possible but quite unlikely.) There was a heaviness in my heart the whole day after hearing the news that we would be leaving the E.U, and that was echoed across the country. Politics is so complicated, I cannot even begin to unwrap it here in this little letter, and you might be thinking, 'but why are people sad if this is what the majority of people chose?' I cannot imagine my head around what your futures will be like in light of this decision, but time will tell, and I sincerely hope the leaders of this country make some wise decisions from here on in. It's an odd thought that the events of this week could become a topic that you study when you are in secondary school, learning about the history, politics and economy of our country. You are both so young right now, and have no concept of what is going on in the world beyond our little lives, and yet the decisions of this week will have major consequences for your lives.
All my love,
Mummy xxx
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