A Letter to the Main Character

New Message

To: Bernadette Fox, foxyarchitectsanonymous@gmail.com

Subject: Hello. I'm a fan.

If you are reading this, then I am extremely honored. I know that you hate your fame, so I'm glad that my fan-mail is an exception.
After reading Maria Semple's story, I couldn't stop thinking about the book. I loved you, and at the same time, I hated you. (Only for 9 pages, though.) Nonetheless, you've gained my respect.

As a misunderstood genius myself, I can totally relate to your fear of people. Actually, who are we kidding here? Haha, I'm the queen of stupidity. Even so, I can still relate to your social anxiety. After a mental breakdown, you disappeared. To Antarctica.
Your daughter, Bee, was devastated... to say the least. You were allergic to your husband, your peers, and people in general. Also, I have to mention that you hired a virtual assistant from Delhi to buy groceries for you.
Edit: I can relate to your social anxiety... to a certain degree.

Remember that one time when you left your entire family and escaped to Antarctica without even a heads-up? Oh, that's right. Your agoraphobia was all caused by a tiny spat TWENTY YEARS prior.
It's understandable, I guess. You are a genius, no doubt. You won the McArthur Genius Grant, for pete's sake. Nothing in the world could stop your eccentric creativity. People feared you, out of admiration and out of jealousy. Fast forward 20 years later, and you've become afraid of people. No open windows, no doctor's appointments, no donut runs...
My point is this: even if parent volunteering brunches aren't your thang, community involvement is still important to life. Don't hold a grudge against all 7+ billion of us. And don't let one idiotic bloke ruin 20 years of your life. One rotten apple doesn't spoil the whole barrel. 

Was it selfish for you to leave everything behind? I don't think so. In the end, your daughter was right:

People like you must create. If you don't create... you will become a menace to society.

Maybe Bee just wanted you to have an outlet for your anger, instead of constantly running away. After all, failure is not just a Black Hole that takes but never gives. 
I guess we all have a lot to say in life. Perhaps you can contribute to the conversation just by creating what you love, forgiving those you love, and loving who you love.

If there was an award for Best Mom, it would have to go to... my Mom! Unfortunately, you came in second place.
All joking aside, your love for Bee is heartwarming.

“When "Here Comes the Sun" started, what happened? No, the sun didn't come out, but Mom opened up like the sun breaking through the clouds. 
'Oh Bee,' she said. 'This song reminds me of you.' She had tears in her eyes.”

I think this email was just my way of saying thank-you-so-much without the tacky card attached. Thank you for your incredible humor, your inspiring journey, and your healing power of love. May we all find a bit of Bernadette Fox in ourselves.
Cheers,
Connie Mi