Wednesday, May 26, 2010

She's cool like that

This is Katherine--my fourteen year-old who just sort of oozes coolness without even trying. Somehow her sweet, tiny hand that barely used to fit around my finger has outgrown mine, but I drink up the joy of knowing she has not outgrown the need to feel my hand in hers. I like to call her my anti-teenager. She is, for the most part, thoughtful and witty and remarkably kind. I try to raise my children to live as though we are all part of an amazing team, and if that is so, Katherine is the quarterback among my children. When she was eight, she used to play hide-and-seek with her newfound neighborhood friends. When they made her three year-old brother "it," she hid right beside him while he was counting and whispered Evan, I'm right here. She still brings her younger brothers and sister along with her everywhere, and she still reminds them that she is right here--beside them--no matter what. They spend their days truly in awe of her. She always seems to dazzle them with whatever play she has in mind for the day's game.

At fourteen, she is so much more than I ever was at her age. Strong, independent, and completely comfortable in her own skin, she shines with the light of a true original--a fresh-faced, converse-clad, guitar-playing original. When she was first born, I imagined that she would be a small version of me--only, hopefully, without all of the mistakes. But who could have ever imagined the richness and dimension she would add? She has helped me to learn to let go of perfection. She makes me feel beautiful, and wise, and really happy to be growing older. She introduced me to Maroon 5 and Twilight and comfy t-shirts and JabbaWockeeZ. Most importantly--she inspires me to serve a little more selflessly, to live bigger, and to embrace change courageously. I think when I grow up, I would like to be more like her.

7 comments:

  1. Lovely tribute to your beautiful Katherine. Cherish these wonderful years, because they are gone before you know it. My daughter will be 28 this summer and it seems like she was 14 just yesterday!

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  2. what a tribute to a beautiful young lady...dont you love it when your kids teach you...my boys do often...enjoy every minute...

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  3. Thanks Willow and Brian--I try to take it all in--it is hard sometimes because we are so busy raising them that we forget to enjoy them more :)

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  4. The picture complements your endearing portrait so well. I echo Willow; they grow up so fast. My daughters, now married, are 29 and 28.

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  5. how wonderful. and your last line about growing up to be more like her blew me away. this piece is a remarkable tribute to your daughter, the quarterback. you are a highly skilled writer and an equally skilled photographer. glad to have found you.

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  6. Thanks, Ed for the compliment on my writing--this is a rather new venue for me. I do have to give credit, though, to my fifteen year-old niece for the photo. {She's pretty cool, too :-) }

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