A Place of her own

 My daughter who will be, sooner than I ever imagined, leaving the nest. (I remind myself often of this now-  as a shock and comfort - shock - I don't want her to ever leave- comfort - God has a path for her planned greater than I can imagine, more marvelous than I can conceive) Sounds trite, yet heartfelt.  Go figure.



For K like many, the early stages of the teen years were difficult.  She did not know where she fit.  With our transition from overseas, she was in shock at the culture when we came back, there was no awe about the way she translated it.  She was lost, she didn't get the mean, popular girl stuff.  And because she'd been in the ME she thought most things that went on here were trivial.



I witnessed an amazing thing at her Junior/Senior Banquet. We are blessed to be a part of a covenant community school. K mingled, chattered and generally commented on how great everyone looked with girl friends, and greeted her good handful of guy friends with hugs or heys.   To see her so comfortable and emotionally connected to a great group of kids and a wonderful mentoring community envokes the feelings I had as she took her first steps,  her proverbial "wings" are beautiful and breathe stopping.



My daughter is not a girlie girl, and in temperment is more logical and discening than emotional and feeling. That makes she and I complete opposites. We agree on a few things - 80's songs generally rock, singing them loud in the car is a good purge of stress, cute heels, and reading a book beats cleaning up (yikes!)   We also agree on ideas having consequences.  A line we have heard over and over starting from a good friend when we were overseas, years ago.  Thanks K.  Our family is blessed to be a part of a school where education is about being and not doing.  The doing proceeds from the being.  I am thankful that God has given her strong mentors that have instilled and modeled its about the being, not doing. 



It took me into my 30's to even perceive that this is a lesson that I should know and breathe. E. and I were talking this morning about his ability to be o.k. with just doing what he feels God calling him to without needing others to nod in approval - this facet of his personality has always comforted and provoked me.  I am glad my K.  is starting ahead of where I came from.  We all want that, our children to succeed. 



K. - "Nuture your mind with great thoughts, to believe in the heroic make heroes." - B. Disraeli - (an of course, always remember God is the superhero of every story)