Dear Emily,
On July 1, you turned ten years old! I’m not sure exactly how it happened that ten years have passed so quickly. One day you were a little girl – the next day, you weren’t. You are a beautiful young lady. You still have so much growing and learning in front of you, but you are already so grown-up! You are conversational in a way that is much more advanced than most ten year old children. Since you are an avid reader, you have a great vocabulary. Just this week on the way home from gymnastics, I taught you the words to “Take Me Out to the Ballgame.” We were singing along when the teacher in me popped up, and I stopped singing to ask “Emily, do you know what ‘root’ for the home team means?” With even taking a breath you informed me that it means “cheer” – ( you answered as if I had just grown another eye) “BB, like I’m an Eagle so I root for the Eagles – I cheer for the Eagles.” Well then….continue.
Another sign of your maturity is that you are organized. When we packed for our night at Opryland Hotel, I thought it was a good idea to carry one small suitcase between us, but you didn’t want to carry “Horsy” through the hotel. She had to go in the suitcase. (You still had to carry a stuffed animaI, but you didn’t want anyone to see it!) I had to go to the storage building and bring out my large suit case, but I still didn’t think that putting Horsy in that case with the rest of our clothes AND pink blanket was possible. By the time you had organized and arranged all the things we needed for an overnight stay, we had room for more! Your appearance is still another sign of your growth. Sometimes on Sunday you almost take my breath away. With a dress on and your hair “done up” in a bun or a braid, you look not only grown up, you also look beautiful. Yes, my little girl is definitely growing up! In so many ways, that is a great thing. Until it’s not.
As you stand on the brink of puberty, you are testing the waters of independence in a new way. Being ten years old is all new, and it’s hard! It’s pre-puberty. You are being pulled in two different directions – one part of you is still a little girl – the new part is leaning toward the teenage years where the road can get really rocky. You have always, and I do mean from the time you could talk, had your own opinion and could justify your opinion. In recent weeks, expressing your opinion has often taken on an “attitude” that is not always becoming or desirable. Plus, you have learned how to pout. I always told your Daddy and Uncle Robert – “Don’t even try to out pout me. I’m a champion at it!” But I must admit, you can give it a good shot. And drama! Where does that come from? Jeepers!
I know from my own experience and from rearing two children that these things are just a part of growing up and that with lots of love, guidance, and prayer, you will come out on the other side as a young woman of grace and beauty. In the meantime, I celebrate the moments of my little ray of sunshine when she brightens my world as usual, and I will hold on tightly with patience when things get a little stormy! You have parents who love you, who are wise, and who are setting a wonderful example for you. They are giving you all the tools you will need to successfully maneuver through the coming years.
Trust their love and their wisdom - do your best to follow their example Em, and the coming years will be a joyful time for everyone – especially you!
I love you!
BB
