I made the official motherhood proclamation this week that all little girls must stay age six. Forever.
They can graduate from kindergarten, lose their front tooth and then a bottom tooth and then just freeze frame right where they are.
Then forever, Miss E and I can go on road trips like we did this week. On Memorial Day, we drove to a greenhouse on farm 50 miles east of us on the North Dakota prairie. Before the shopping even got started, my iPhone dropped in the greenhouse bathroom toilet. And I took the waterproof case off of it last week. We had a good laugh. And now have a new phone but that water-logged phone is still soaking in rice on our counter. Just in case it decides to reincarnate itself into a working iPhone.
Miss E paraded up and down the aisles of the greenhouse picking out oodles of flowers in every color of the rainbow. Then she picked out more vegetables for our gardens, since I am teaching our kids to garden while teaching myself mostly. No easy task. She was the happiest, carefree garden girl.
I want to save her at this age. Her big ideas. Her fresh perspective. Her innocent unawareness of the harshness of the world outside. She is sincere and loving and if I could just keep her at age six, I wouldn’t have to deal with the tough stuff of age 16!
But since I don’t think Miss E will agree to staying age six, forever, I want to prepare her for the real world. I want her to be empowered, to have courage and confidence to take on her goals and dreams.
On Tuesday, I had to go to an agriculture related planning meeting. Rather than Miss E spend the day with Nana I asked if she wanted to accompany me. She set her alarm for 6:30 a.m. and was dressed and ready to go by 7:00 a.m. I thought she looked adorable in a dress my mom bought for her with little slip-on shoes and backpack. My friend and former colleague, Stephanie was attending the same meeting and we snapped a picture of them in the parking lot together. Miss E sat in the lobby of the farm business building we were in at first and later caught my eye outside the conference room. I motioned for her to come in and join us. She sat at the head of the table and wrote notes.
It was a precious moment I will never forget. Miss E later told me she learned about “corn and beans” in the meeting. But I think she also learned from the five women in leadership positions around the table. They are from different backgrounds and places. They have unique roles professionally and personally and they were all so welcoming to Miss E. She left the meeting with her shoulders back and her head higher. She is even planning on attending more meetings with me she said.
But for now, I am keeping her at age six. She has reminded it is also ALMOST her half birthday and then I have to refer to her age as six and a half! I can’t stop time. I can’t keep her just at age six. Or six and a half. But for today, I want her to live out a carefree summer, at age six. I want to soak in the fun moments with her, the summer adventures, the tee ball games, gymnastics lessons, gardening, 4-H, bike rides, tractor rides and tea parties. I want to listen to her read all 100 books she has planned for the summer.
I love age six and I love Miss E at age six. Forever.
they grow up so very fast,, and after ours left home I had to sit and marvel at the fact, that they were young adults, and I truly missed them being the young innocent children that once lived in our home,, So I shed a few tears,, and accepted the fact, that yes,, they were adults,. So as the grandchildren arrived, 7 of them,, I had a chance to redo, what we missed the first time.. lucky me
Katie,
Enjoy every moment of Miss E and the summer, as well as Hunter and Miss A. I think it’s awesome that you take her to professional meetings and that she is active and attentive at the meetings. You are helping her build a strong foundation to excel at whatever she does.
I can’t say that I remember a lot about being 6, but I was young and interested in tagging along with Mom or Dad. Mom was very aware that Sister and I needed to be exposed to different types of people, places and ideas.
You never know what experience Miss E will have that will influence her is a big way. If nothing else she will always have a good story to share about the time Mom and I ….