After posting pictures of her very pink very princess room I was not prepared to present my granddaughter with bright colorful princess folders for school and have her say, “Grandma, I’m ten now.”  Already there is pressure to meet the expected standards of peers in public.   All those peers have rooms like hers- love the baby doll and Barbie play at each other’s houses, but that is home and public is different.  To her it’s like wearing pajamas to school to carry those folders.

The same week I took my now twenty-one month old grandson to a movie with the ten and twelve year old.  He lasted about 40 minutes.  I spent the other hour and fifteen minutes following him as he explored the entire theater complex struggling to keep up with him and actually tearing my pants in a happy but hilarious tug of war.  Thankfully my shirt was long enough to cover the damage.  There is no doubt about the fact that age defines us in many circumstances.  It is true that all ages mix well in many shared experiences but there are definitely as many more that they don’t.

Being of the variety that believes I am still in my twenties and relate to anyone it causes me to cringe when I am offered a hand on steep steps, asked if I am OK as my face gives away the fact I am hot, and receive a lot more advice on what to do and not to do from my family.  I need the help and rarely is the advice wrong but I struggle between wanting to remain the giver- caretaker- in control person and wanting to have a break!

These flowers have had good days and bad days this summer.  At one point I was sure they were dying.  Yet here they are today blooming as lovely as ever.  No matter what the set back may be I will hold on to the hope that I have strong blooms yet to shine and wave in the winds of life.  Tonight I go to court over a speeding ticket- I had forgotten they gave those out, but evidently some things apply to all ages!  Perhaps I will go to Wal-Mart and buy a princess shirt to throw the judge off………………