Going to school and getting a good education is essential for kids. As parents, we get it. We want our children's minds molded by excellent teachers who help to open their eyes and hearts to new opportunities and prepare them for future success. All of these things are so, so important. And, well, there are other things that are also pretty important, such as playing hooky for a once-in-a-lifetime experience with the world's coolest mom.
You may have heard a word or two on the street about Taylor Swift's "Eras Tour." It's the most sought-after ticket in town, and if you could get a pair in your hot little hands, you're going. Trust us; we've seen her and know this is a can't miss.
Texas mom Karen Vladeck decided to break the news to her daughter's teacher that her child will be absent later this month, and the letter she penned is simply the best.
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To whom it may concern.
Vladeck is a 38-year-old Austin-based attorney and mom to a first-grade Taylor Swift fan. She plans to take her daughter out of school on April 24 so they can travel to Houston to watch the "Eras" show.
She reached out to her daughter's teacher, Ms. Parks, with what seemed to be a pretty straightforward absence excuse. But keep reading: You can see Vladeck wanted to have a little fun.
Taylor, look what you made her do.
Unless you have been hiding in a cave for the last 20 years, you know some of Swift's biggest hits, and if you're like us, you sing them at the top of your lungs any chance you can get. Vladeck is clearly a fan, and she told Today when she started her letter, it was going to be short and sweet. But things changed.
"At first, it was going to be one sentence long and then I got into it and I just kept pulling different titles out," she shared.
She nailed it immediately with the email's subject line, paying tribute to one of Swift's recent hits. "It's Me, Hi, I'm the Problem, It's Me."
We don't see the problem at all.
The email continued with several of Swift's songs referenced throughout.
"Dear Reader [Ms. Parks], I'm writing to let you know that Maddie won't be in school on 4/24 because she is going to the Taylor Swift concert in Houston.
"I hope missing school doesn't ruin her otherwise stellar Reputation, but she begged me to go and maybe I Should Have Said No but I didn't want to be Mean."
Instead of a fitting phrase, such as alas or anyway, Vladeck brought the woman of the hour back in with a quick, "So It Goes … "
And then, she finished strong.
"Anyway, I hope this doesn't leave any Bad Blood between you and Maddie and that things for the rest of the year are not Treacherous. I know I Did Something Bad and I promise this will be The Last Time she has an unexcused absence before the Cruel Summer starts," she wrote, before signing her email, "Forever & Always, Karen Vladeck."
No joke — this momma nailed it!
Vladeck told Today that she didn't run it by her husband before she hit send, but she did copy him on the email to their daughter's teacher.
"When he saw it, he was like, 'What are you thinking?' But then the teacher wrote back immediately and she absolutely loved it."
Vladeck said Parks is a mom of two teenage daughters and thought it was "hilarious."
Thankfully, the Parks are Swifties just like the Vladecks.
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In all seriousness, Vladeck is doing something really cool for her daughter.
This show is a milestone for the mother and daughter. It will be her first concert, and Vladeck thinks that Swift is the perfect person for them to see together. As a longtime fan, she has watched Swift's career and the amazing artist she has become.
"I absolutely love the message of what The Eras Tour represents, which is that you as a woman can be constantly reinventing yourself if you want to," she said. "I've been listening to Taylor Swift since 'Tim McGraw' came out and the fact that she's still here and is still so incredibly relevant — even more so than when she was 18 — that's just an amazing message for little girls to see," she told Today.
And that first concert magic, we get it. Our hearts were a flutter in 1988 when we were Hangin' Tough. Those are the moments we will never forget.
"Parents now always talk about those core memories, but I do really hope in 20 years, she's sitting around with her friends saying, 'Oh, what was your first concert?' and she says, 'My mom took me to The Eras Tour when I was 7,'" Vladeck told Today.
Trust us. You are making those wildest dreams come true.
