Somethin' about nothin'

I have a 16 year old daughter who has just started her senior year in high school. Wow! I'm old...or so she tells me. Every time I see her a mental image of a carefree little girl with pig tails and a light sprinkling of freckles on her nose creeps in, as if part of a dream. She can see this process unfold in front of her, and with a roll of her eyes, she gently reminds me that she's no longer 5 years old. It seems like such a short time ago, a summer full of t-ball, uniforms, parades, team pictures, the smell of popcorn and sunflower seeds. She was the only girl on the team, and a full head taller than all of the boys. That didn't matter though, because boys at that age still follow instructions when being bossed around by a cute little blond.

As she grew older, her interest in sports, or anything extracurricular faded. The mere thought of doing something outside of going to the mall or hanging with her friends was an insult to her version of cool. The thought of the future was also very intimidating. She thought that because she did not know what she wanted yet, like several of her other friends, that she would be judged. Any discussion about her future and goals was painful at best, and she behaved as if it were a personal attack. She was not ready, and so we waited.

Now here we are. It's her senior year. She has just landed her first job (pizza), and was made President of a business (a non-profit run by her fashion class). She's going to be very busy and she's looking forward to every minute. I couldn't be more proud, and I know that she'll be great. Why do I believe that? Of course my opinion is not unbiased, but she's also getting involved in something she enjoys. She will be mentoring and leading others, and at times she will have to fill in where others are not able to do the task at hand. For years, when asked what she wanted to be when she grows up, her response was President. I'm sure that this is not the "President" that she had in mind way back when, but that's okay. We all have to start somewhere.