sugar and spice

My child is lucky. She has plenty of food and a safe home. Two parents who love her and books and books and books. She's learning to hold her own and to embrace her impending girlhood. Today she had a friend over and we walked over to the park. Her friend is a crazy climbing girl. She bounded up a tricky apparatus and looked down while M is looking up.

CCG: What's wrong, M? You scared? Big girls don't get scared. You're not a big girl.
M: I'm not scared and I am a big girl. But big girls can choose the things they want to do and I don't feel like doing this. And she turned and ran and jumped on something else.

And I smiled broadly, you go, precious baby girl. you go.
And realizing this truth, the import of the strength of growing our girls into women made me appreciate all the more reading Three Cups of Tea. I was deeply moved by Greg and his work in Pakistan, all in service of allowing girls to more fully realize their potential. I realize I may be one of the last people on earth who hadn't read it, but if you haven't it's more than worth your while. And it's reminded me again of what I already know: strong girls make for stronger communities.Image courtesy Greg Mortenson, Central Asia Institute.