Growing up too fast

I was reading one of my favorite blogs yesterday(iambossy.com)she is great BTW, be sure to check her out and she has a section labeled "favorite things". Her most recent favorite thing had to do with the stage her daughter is in right now, perched precariously between little girl and teen.

Lindsey is so in this exact same place right now, hovering between those two worlds. She is getting ready to start middle school in a few weeks and watching her slowly emerge from and retreat back into the cocoon of childhood in the the wide world of adolescence is something. She carries a purse now, but it is mostly filled with Pokemon cards and candy- gotta love that. As I watched her teetering off and tripping in her new, grown-up wedge heeled sandals to chase her brother up a tree after church, it seemed to be such a clear illustration of the threshold she is on. The other day, she played Polly Pockets in her room for half the day. Maybe she too, is aware of the changes coming all too soon and was stealing a few moments while she can, to hold on to the little girl she is about to leave behind.

I hope more than anything that she never let's go of those little girl qualities I admire so much in her like, optimism, trust, confidence, honesty. The transition can be hard as I recall. I know it was a painful one for me as I vividly remember being thrust into a world where my peers and myself were all of a sudden self-conscious for the first time, trying to fit in, more concerned about appearing "cool" than anything else and suddenly and unexpectedly feeling pressured to shed any traces of our little girl selves.

I think she will thrive. I know she will. She has always been sure of her self and unafraid of being different and setting her own course. As she teeters off to adolescence in her grown up shoes, I pray with all my might that she always has candy in her purse to help sweeten the inevitable sour notes that will accompany her from time to time on her journey. I will of course, be ready and willing to scoop her up and kiss her boo-boos if she will let me. Oh man do I hope she lets me.