Ten Times Round....

"Then the child moved ten times round the seasons"... Joni Mitchell "The Circle Game"

 

Dear 10-Year Old Girl,

Last night as you fell asleep on couch, feet on my lap, I counted your toes, just as I did a decade ago.  I traced their every curve and breathed you in.  As we settle into month six of this pandemic, a state no one could ever predict, I am counting toes and blessings.  I am thankful that as of today, we and those closest to us are all healthy and safe.  I am thankful for the communities that have kept us whole and enabled you to thrive, in these unimaginable circumstances.

Even in our protective bubble, you have found your way.  Prior to March you were beginning to emerge from your little-girl cocoon and spreading your growing wings.  You now need us in different ways, no longer to tie shoes and button sweaters but to help you with complex fractions and navigating social media.  Suddenly your bedroom has become your oasis, you tell us you keep the door closed to keep the cats out and that is okay, we believe you.  No longer a room of doll houses and cradles, they have been relegated to the basement to make room for a fancy couch and sheepskin rug.  And soon the purple paint, picked out by your 4-year-old self will make way for a 10-year old blue.

                                     

The early days of quarantine brought on a new network of group chats and endless text messages as you and your gaggle of girls found new ways to stay connected.  The TikTok tsunami has burst into our home, accompanied by Insta and a birthday gift of every young girl’s dream, your very own phone number and due to convenient defect, a brand-new phone.

As I watch you now dancing in the late summer sun, I am in awe of your resilience.  While there have certainly been bumps, and a few times it felt like we were sliding off the cliff, you always bounced back.  With vacations cancelled, and social interactions curtailed, you found new ways to express yourself.  After a terrible night of violence in a summer of explosive racial tension, you became a young advocate.  You researched George Floyd and wrote your own treatise on the unfair treatment of black people in our country.  In your journey you also became interested in the women’s liberation movement and the fight for equality. 

        So proud of you, I continue to hold on tight, while letting go. Last week brought the 1^st day of middle school, no more cubbies and classrooms with furry friends.  Now you have a daily schedule to navigate, and at the end of the day, can leave campus on your own.  And this is all happening while we are still very much in the middle of a global pandemic.  We are grateful for SCH and the herculean effort that has gone into creating a road map, meticulously developed with the driving initiative to get you all back on campus safely.

This summer has been a gift. While trips were cancelled and that was sure hard, we created new ways to escape together.  Endless movie nights, outdoors and in.  We transformed our backyard into a place to slip and slide, cozy up and run obstacle courses.  And we are grateful for  a couple of weekend getaways to the beach and the much-needed visits of Grama and Kelly and Henry, which felt like pure oxygen and filled our cups. 

 

You have become my home "buddy," fashion advisor and exercise partner.  We have gotten lost in endless streaming movies and found comfort together in our shared love of baking and cooking.  You have held me when I have been sad and also showered me in hysterical laughter.  As we continue to navigate all of the insanity this year has brought, I look forward to having you continue to lead, grow, persevere and show the world all you've got.  

Cheers to you sweet girl,

Your Mom and Dad