The wonder of girls

This afternoon I was leaving Target, having spent the obligatory $100 minimum ($103.43, to be exact). In front of me was a little girl, about six, skipping along beside her mother.



"She had on a blue shirt!" The little girl was bursting with excitement. "Just like mine!" She was beside herself with joy. "She had a blue shirt just like mine, Mommy!"



It was impossible not to smile. This child took such joy in the random coincidence of seeing another girl wearing a shirt she recognized. The girl was so preoccupied she almost skipped herself backwards into my cart. The mom apologized.



"No worries," I said. I'm still smiling.



Later, I picked up Mad and 2 of her friends. They were attending an after school event. We took A home, as her mom said she couldn't spend the night. R and Mad are downstairs now.



In the car on the way back, I followed the rules all mothers of teenagers should know. (And I'd like to give a shout out to my dear friend C O'B, who told me this secret, which I hadn't known when I commited the felony offense of injecting myself into a conversation amongst 7th grade girls a few years ago.)



Here's the rule:



When you are driving your daughter and her friend(s), YOU ARE INVISIBLE!! I cannot stress this enough. You may not make comments. You may not ask follow up questions. You are absolutely FORBIDDEN to sing along with the radio, even if you and your daughter just sang that song at the top of your respective lungs that morning on the way to school.



You're welcome.



I love watching Mad with her friends. She has known R since preschool, and A for nearly as long. They have a history. They have code words and secret signs. When Mad told me she got an A- on her math test, R reached towards Mad from the back seat and they did a high five. LOVE that!!



Mad and I have a 7 mile training walk tomorrow. We were discussing our route in R's presence. Turns out R's aunt used to walk the 3 day. She did it for about 4 years.



Then she died of breast cancer.



I wonder if R's aunt had a daughter. I wonder if she ever knew the joy of watching her child skip through Target with unbridled enthusiasm. I wonder if she got the thrill of watching her all too grown up child share the joy of a good grade with a friend.



There are no words. . .

If you'd like to donate in support of our walk, please go here:

http://www.the3day.org/site/TR/Walk/TwinCitiesEvent?px=3237566&pg=personal&fr_id=1302

Thank you for your support.