My little girl turned 13 at the end of January. If we had followed my Jewish roots, she would have had a bat mitzvah and become a woman. Guess what? She became a woman anyway. I don't know how Roger and I got so lucky but we have the best daughter anyone could ever, ever hope for. Every day she grows more beautiful, graceful, intuitive, compassionate, worldly, smart, and talented. Sometimes I forget I'm speaking with a 13-year-old because she's so insightful and mature. Whether it's discussing recent difficulties I've had in my relationship with my mother, or the troubles one of her friend is currently having, her perceptions and observations are razor sharp.
Roger and I are thrilled with the great year she's having in 7th grade. She has found and made a wonderful group of friends who are sweet, smart, and accomplished. She keeps in touch with people she's met in different areas of her life: the girls from our travel group to China, friends she made from the past two summers at zoo camp, our local Families with Children from China, the regional orchestra she plays with. She is a delight and inspiration to me every day.
Thank goodness we have her because she mitigates the increasingly complex and broken world in which we live. I only wish I could do more to protect her from the realities of life on the planet. It's stressful to realize you have limited ability to shelter your kids or truly keep them safe. That is a heart-breaking reality for all of us.
