Margot Susan Milner

Bentonville, Arkansas

Dear Margot,

It’s me, Fun Uncle Dave. We haven’t met yet, but I’ve heard a lot about you.

In fact, I first heard about you all the way back in September when your grandfather told me your mom was listening for a heartbeat. This was news to me, as I didn’t know there was a heartbeat to hear.

So, Pops spilled the beans and I laughed and laughed and laughed. Some would say “cackled,” if they’re charitable. Hopefully you get the laugh of your mom, your dad — literally anyone but your uncle.

You’re coming into a fun family. I was reminded of that at Christmas when we sat around and played Uno and it was just as vicious as I remember from when I was a kid. Your grandmother, whose name is your middle name, cheats. You didn’t know your great-grandmother Cricket but she cheated at cards, too. My fear is that you’ll take after them, but also you could do a lot worse.

You’ve got a really cool big brother. He just turned 3 and I know he’ll be glad to show you around. Maybe he’ll be better about that than I was with your mom, but if he starts to begrudge you, just keep in mind that all these years later, Katie’s now my best friend and someday you two will be as well.

It’s hard to believe I wrote your brother, James Sheppard, three years ago when he was a newborn. I went back and read that the other day and oh my goodness it seemed so naïve. I told him the world he was entering wasn’t so bad — there was lots of good.

And that’s true but man oh man did I have no idea what lie ahead. Those were the blissfully ignorant pre-pandemic, pre-insurrection days of 2019.

Since then, we’ve seen some things.

But what this world hasn’t seen is you, Margot.

You’re a little fighter. Your mom hasn’t been referring to you as a Violent Ninja Baby just for fun.

I’ve got a sneaking suspicion that we’re all going to look back on April 4, 2022, as a turning point. That’s the day you came in and upended everything.

I know your parents are going to raise you as a warrior. You’ll fight for justice, to right wrongs, to advocate for those whom society has picked on.

You’re going to call us old people out when we get it wrong. Good. Do that.

You’re not going to be passive. Not the Violent Ninja Baby Margot.

You didn’t put your mama through this to be passive. I’m really excited to see what happens from here. You and your brother are going to change the world.

I for one am grateful that you are.

Love always,

Uncle David

David Clemons is the editor and publisher of The Walton Tribune. He previously served as the publisher of The Covington News and the Fort Payne, Alabama, Times-Journal.