No Forging Needed: Fifth Grader Gets Absence Excuse From President Obama

Obama Absence NoteSometimes I just have to marvel at the universe’s timing. Just a couple short days after we found out that a six-year-old got to leave school early based on a forged letter written with highlighter, we hear that a fifth grader got a much more legitimate excuse. Like, extremely legitimate. Tyler Sullivan wasn’t at school because he was meeting Barack Obama. So the President wrote the boy’s absence note.

Tyler’s dad works at a Honeywell Factory that was being visited by Obama. And since his dad would get the opportunity to meet POTUS, Tyler just couldn’t miss it. He skipped school to be there as well. So I guess it was only fair that Obama help out his young fan.

I’m not sure what it says about me as a person that I’m intensely jealous of this fifth grader. Honestly, if I could get a letter from the President, I feel like my wonderful editors here at Mommyish would just have to understand me missing work. Then, of course, there’s the question of whether I would part with such a letter to turn it in.

I have a feeling that Obama knew exactly how super cool he was being. There’s no other way to explain the ellipses and exclamation point. He wanted Tyler to be able to show this thing off. And he succeeded, because this letter is undoubtedly cool.

During the 2008 primaries, I had literally just given birth. My daughter was only a couple months old. But I dragged both her and myself out to meet Hilary Clinton at a small restaurant in my home town where she was speaking. When my mother asked me why I would bother attending a political event with a newborn, I said that I was excited to be able to tell my child that she met an iconic political woman and role model. We didn’t walk away with an awesome note, but that doesn’t mean that I won’t share the story with my daughter later when she grows up. Honestly, I would’ve killed for a memento such at the one that Tyler Sullivan just got.

All in all, it’s a pretty cool example of a student getting involved in politics, and probably one of the best excuses for missing school that you can get. Hopefully, the Presidential pardon keeps Tyler from getting in to any trouble with his teacher.

(via Gawker)

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