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    <id>https://ajmichels.com/dear-alexa-rae/feed.xml</id>
    <title type="html">Dear Alexa Rae</title>
    <link href="https://ajmichels.com/dear-alexa-rae/feed.xml" rel="self" type="application/atom+xml" />
    <link href="https://ajmichels.com/dear-alexa-rae/" rel="alternate" type="text/html" />
    <updated>2026-05-05T01:33:51-05:00</updated>
    <subtitle>Letters from a father to his daughter.</subtitle>
    <author>
        <name>AJ Michels</name>
    </author>
    
    <entry>
        <id>https://ajmichels.com/dear-alexa-rae/2026/05/04/student-of-the-month/</id>
        <title type="html">Student of the Month</title>
        <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://ajmichels.com/dear-alexa-rae/2026/05/04/student-of-the-month/" />
        <published>2026-05-04T23:40:15-05:00</published>
        <updated>2026-05-05T00:55:21-05:00</updated>
        <author>
            <name>AJ Michels</name>
        </author>
        <summary type="text">
            <![CDATA[You were nominated as the student of the month at your middle school. Wow! Words can’t describe how proud of you I am. You have grown and matured so much, it’s so hard to believe you were once my little girl — so excited to see that daddy got home before you did and was at the door to greet you. You are so smart, filled with compassion, and beautiful head to toe.]]>
        </summary>
    </entry>
    
    <entry>
        <id>https://ajmichels.com/dear-alexa-rae/2015/03/14/writers-block/</id>
        <title type="html">Writers Block</title>
        <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://ajmichels.com/dear-alexa-rae/2015/03/14/writers-block/" />
        <published>2015-03-14T00:00:00-05:00</published>
        <updated>2026-05-04T23:48:14-05:00</updated>
        <author>
            <name>AJ Michels</name>
        </author>
        <summary type="text">
            <![CDATA[It has been a while since I have written to you. I really have no good excuse. I think about you so much and I think of things I want to tell you all the time but yet I don’t sit down and write to you.]]>
        </summary>
    </entry>
    
    <entry>
        <id>https://ajmichels.com/dear-alexa-rae/2015/01/11/interstellar/</id>
        <title type="html">Interstellar</title>
        <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://ajmichels.com/dear-alexa-rae/2015/01/11/interstellar/" />
        <published>2015-01-11T17:32:09-06:00</published>
        <updated>2026-05-04T23:48:14-05:00</updated>
        <author>
            <name>AJ Michels</name>
        </author>
        <summary type="text">
            <![CDATA[You aren’t old enough to know this about me yet, but your father is a very emotional person. It comes as no surprise then that I had a very strong reaction to “Interstellar” a movie which was just recently in theaters. In the movie the main character is a single father of two children living in a harsh dystopian future. During the movie he is faced with the decision of leaving his family for an indeterminate amount of time in order to possibly save them from the end of the world, or to stay a...]]>
        </summary>
    </entry>
    
    <entry>
        <id>https://ajmichels.com/dear-alexa-rae/2014/10/04/one-year-old/</id>
        <title type="html">One Year Old</title>
        <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://ajmichels.com/dear-alexa-rae/2014/10/04/one-year-old/" />
        <published>2014-10-04T00:00:00-05:00</published>
        <updated>2026-05-04T23:48:14-05:00</updated>
        <author>
            <name>AJ Michels</name>
        </author>
        <summary type="text">
            <![CDATA[I can’t believe it. You have been a part of my life for a whole year already. While I am so excited about you growing up, I think I have said before, it is also really scary.]]>
        </summary>
    </entry>
    
    <entry>
        <id>https://ajmichels.com/dear-alexa-rae/2014/07/19/eager-to-help/</id>
        <title type="html">Eager To Help</title>
        <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://ajmichels.com/dear-alexa-rae/2014/07/19/eager-to-help/" />
        <published>2014-07-19T00:00:00-05:00</published>
        <updated>2026-05-05T00:03:25-05:00</updated>
        <author>
            <name>AJ Michels</name>
        </author>
        <summary type="text">
            <![CDATA[Your mother was very tired this afternoon so you and I got to spend the afternoon together, just the two of us. I had some work to get done around the house. Specifically I wanted to fix the door to your bedroom which has always been very squeaking to open and close. Doing this work while keeping you safe and happy was a bit tricky. You were very interested in being close to me the whole time and when I started using tools you were very eager to help. You wanted to help me use the screw drive...]]>
        </summary>
    </entry>
    
    <entry>
        <id>https://ajmichels.com/dear-alexa-rae/2014/06/29/new-beginnings-and-goodbyes/</id>
        <title type="html">New Beginnings and Goodbyes</title>
        <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://ajmichels.com/dear-alexa-rae/2014/06/29/new-beginnings-and-goodbyes/" />
        <published>2014-06-29T00:00:00-05:00</published>
        <updated>2026-05-05T00:03:22-05:00</updated>
        <author>
            <name>AJ Michels</name>
        </author>
        <summary type="text">
            <![CDATA[Today you and I went to a party for my friends and their new baby girl. The party was both a baptism and going away party. My friends, who I have known since high school, are moving out-of-state and we will probably not see much of them anymore. They are busy people, we are busy people, and living a long ways away from each other makes it even more difficult to find time to spend together.]]>
        </summary>
    </entry>
    
    <entry>
        <id>https://ajmichels.com/dear-alexa-rae/2014/06/25/what-little-girls-wish-daddies-knew/</id>
        <title type="html">What Little Girls Wish Daddies Knew</title>
        <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://ajmichels.com/dear-alexa-rae/2014/06/25/what-little-girls-wish-daddies-knew/" />
        <published>2014-06-25T00:00:00-05:00</published>
        <updated>2026-05-05T00:03:19-05:00</updated>
        <author>
            <name>AJ Michels</name>
        </author>
        <summary type="text">
            <![CDATA[Your mother shared this article with me. Unfortunately it will probably not be available by the time you are old enough to read this so I will repost it and hopefully no one will get upset about it.]]>
        </summary>
    </entry>
    
    <entry>
        <id>https://ajmichels.com/dear-alexa-rae/2014/06/14/swimming-class/</id>
        <title type="html">Swimming Class</title>
        <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://ajmichels.com/dear-alexa-rae/2014/06/14/swimming-class/" />
        <published>2014-06-14T00:00:00-05:00</published>
        <updated>2026-05-05T00:03:15-05:00</updated>
        <author>
            <name>AJ Michels</name>
        </author>
        <summary type="text">
            <![CDATA[Yesterday we had our first day of swim class, again. The first time we had swim class you got sick and we had to miss several days, then I was busy, so we ended up just getting a credit for the class so we could sign up for a different time. Well that time has come.]]>
        </summary>
    </entry>
    
    <entry>
        <id>https://ajmichels.com/dear-alexa-rae/2014/06/12/first-swim-class/</id>
        <title type="html">First Swim Class</title>
        <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://ajmichels.com/dear-alexa-rae/2014/06/12/first-swim-class/" />
        <published>2014-06-12T00:00:00-05:00</published>
        <updated>2026-05-05T00:03:12-05:00</updated>
        <author>
            <name>AJ Michels</name>
        </author>
        <summary type="text">
            <![CDATA[I am really looking forward to our first (for the second time) swim class tonight.]]>
        </summary>
    </entry>
    
    <entry>
        <id>https://ajmichels.com/dear-alexa-rae/2014/06/10/falling-asleep/</id>
        <title type="html">Falling Asleep</title>
        <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://ajmichels.com/dear-alexa-rae/2014/06/10/falling-asleep/" />
        <published>2014-06-10T00:00:00-05:00</published>
        <updated>2026-05-05T00:03:09-05:00</updated>
        <author>
            <name>AJ Michels</name>
        </author>
        <summary type="text">
            <![CDATA[So it turns out you just really don’t like falling asleep to quiet. I accidentally activated the music on your baby monitor last night and you were out in minutes. Finally you can get some good sleep and so can your mother and I.]]>
        </summary>
    </entry>
    
    <entry>
        <id>https://ajmichels.com/dear-alexa-rae/2014/06/08/workshop-helper/</id>
        <title type="html">Workshop Helper</title>
        <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://ajmichels.com/dear-alexa-rae/2014/06/08/workshop-helper/" />
        <published>2014-06-08T00:00:00-05:00</published>
        <updated>2026-05-05T00:03:06-05:00</updated>
        <author>
            <name>AJ Michels</name>
        </author>
        <summary type="text">
            <![CDATA[Your mother and I were working on a lot of house projects this weekend. You were so interested in everything we were doing. You watched me so carefully while I was assembling my new drill press and every time your mother brought you out to the garage to say “Hi.” You are still far to young to actually help me on projects but I can see in your eyes that you very much like to help me out.]]>
        </summary>
    </entry>
    
    <entry>
        <id>https://ajmichels.com/dear-alexa-rae/2014/06/08/bedtime/</id>
        <title type="html">Bedtime</title>
        <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://ajmichels.com/dear-alexa-rae/2014/06/08/bedtime/" />
        <published>2014-06-08T00:00:00-05:00</published>
        <updated>2026-05-05T00:03:03-05:00</updated>
        <author>
            <name>AJ Michels</name>
        </author>
        <summary type="text">
            <![CDATA[It was my turn to put you to bed tonight. Lately your mother and I have had mixed feelings about this experience, you have not been very cooperative. You and I got a bottle ready. We made our way to your bedroom, closed your door and your curtains, and started our ritual of getting you to sleep.]]>
        </summary>
    </entry>
    
    <entry>
        <id>https://ajmichels.com/dear-alexa-rae/2014/06/05/people-we-love-and-hurtful-things/</id>
        <title type="html">People We Love and Hurtful Things</title>
        <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://ajmichels.com/dear-alexa-rae/2014/06/05/people-we-love-and-hurtful-things/" />
        <published>2014-06-05T00:00:00-05:00</published>
        <updated>2026-05-05T00:03:00-05:00</updated>
        <author>
            <name>AJ Michels</name>
        </author>
        <summary type="text">
            <![CDATA[Sometimes the people we love do things that are hurtful and that we don’t understand. The tough part is deciding whether that hurt is enough to make you feel as if you do not want that person in your life any longer. Would your life be better without that person? Does your reaction to the hurt cause more pain for that person than it does you? Loving is not simple, despite our desire for it to be so.]]>
        </summary>
    </entry>
    
    <entry>
        <id>https://ajmichels.com/dear-alexa-rae/2014/06/05/conversations/</id>
        <title type="html">Conversations</title>
        <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://ajmichels.com/dear-alexa-rae/2014/06/05/conversations/" />
        <published>2014-06-05T00:00:00-05:00</published>
        <updated>2026-05-05T00:02:57-05:00</updated>
        <author>
            <name>AJ Michels</name>
        </author>
        <summary type="text">
            <![CDATA[I am immensely looking forward to the day when we can have our first real conversation, and all of the amazing conversations to follow.]]>
        </summary>
    </entry>
    
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