All Hail, The Girl
Believe it or not, The Girl completed her elementary school education yesterday, having graduated from 6th grade! I went to the ceremony thinking, "Meh, 6th grade, big deal. Call me when she's done with college." But once I got there "in the moment," and saw her there in all her pre-adolescent glory, and thought about the long haul it really has been: mean girls and frenemies and math woes and the blossoming of her writing talent and her enthusiasm for books and reading and evolving from frustrated ballerina to passionate horsewoman and the whole complicated, ever-unfolding piece of origami it's been so far, I started crying like a baby!
As Bertie says to Jeeves, "It's just the bally balliness of it all."
As part of the program, they did a slide show with a baby picture of each student followed by a picture of them today, which I thought I'd share:
And a poem I wrote in her honor:
Checklist For The Girl
A helmet to protect that fine mind of yours,
Gloves to keep your hands supple,
An extra layer, because it’s not cold now,
But it might be later.
Half-chaps so you can grip the horse,
Hell-bent on throwing you
Away from me.
Paddock boots to shield the muck,
A head lamp to show you the way
In the lonesome whinny of
The pitch-black stable yard.
Brush your hair, or at least
Clip your bangs to the side.
It is magnificent, auburn, and out of control.
You are a pre-Raphaelite stunner
Who would make Rossetti cry,
But wash your face, it’s a bit oily.
Your backpack full of crumpled notes,
And mystery. Your lunch box,
In its lavender-zippered skin.
Homework, I assume that you’ve done,
Permission slips, I hope you’ve told me about,
And your shoes, forgotten in the
Morning rush.
A pbj sandwich,
A salty snack -
Pretzels or tortilla chips -
A piece of fresh fruit,
String cheese, and a
York Peppermint Pattie.
A tutor who can drive,
Your math book,
Some graph paper,
And a sharp pencil,
So you can feel strong
When the next attack comes.
A little extra money for
Hot chocolate from Starbucks.
Tzedakah - always two quarters -
Your book, your portion,
Your blessing, your prayer, your grace,
Your heart, your soul, your spirit,
Your passion, your essence, and
Because shul is for finding, not losing,
Your open heart and
Your critical mind.
This checklist is now complete.
You will stay firmly attached to the Earth.
There is no way you can fall off.
But most of all,
Don’t forget your extra layer,
Because it’s not cold now,
But it might be later.
As Bertie says to Jeeves, "It's just the bally balliness of it all."
As part of the program, they did a slide show with a baby picture of each student followed by a picture of them today, which I thought I'd share:
And a poem I wrote in her honor:
Checklist For The Girl
A helmet to protect that fine mind of yours,
Gloves to keep your hands supple,
An extra layer, because it’s not cold now,
But it might be later.
Half-chaps so you can grip the horse,
Hell-bent on throwing you
Away from me.
Paddock boots to shield the muck,
A head lamp to show you the way
In the lonesome whinny of
The pitch-black stable yard.
Brush your hair, or at least
Clip your bangs to the side.
It is magnificent, auburn, and out of control.
You are a pre-Raphaelite stunner
Who would make Rossetti cry,
But wash your face, it’s a bit oily.
Your backpack full of crumpled notes,
And mystery. Your lunch box,
In its lavender-zippered skin.
Homework, I assume that you’ve done,
Permission slips, I hope you’ve told me about,
And your shoes, forgotten in the
Morning rush.
A pbj sandwich,
A salty snack -
Pretzels or tortilla chips -
A piece of fresh fruit,
String cheese, and a
York Peppermint Pattie.
A tutor who can drive,
Your math book,
Some graph paper,
And a sharp pencil,
So you can feel strong
When the next attack comes.
A little extra money for
Hot chocolate from Starbucks.
Tzedakah - always two quarters -
Your book, your portion,
Your blessing, your prayer, your grace,
Your heart, your soul, your spirit,
Your passion, your essence, and
Because shul is for finding, not losing,
Your open heart and
Your critical mind.
This checklist is now complete.
You will stay firmly attached to the Earth.
There is no way you can fall off.
But most of all,
Don’t forget your extra layer,
Because it’s not cold now,
But it might be later.