Passages

The year our girls turned 10, my sister and I took them away for a weekend. It was part of our decision to be intentional parents.  My sister had already forged the path, by doing something similar for her son. 
The idea was, that at 10, the girls were on the cusp of adolescence, and if they had some information about what lay ahead, it might help them navigate the waters of teenage years. So we rented a cabin on the lake, and  listened to tapes on "Preparing for Adolescence" by Dr. James Dobson.  In between, we went shopping, got new haircuts,  and took them to get their ears pierced.  One night we got all dressed up and went out to dinner at a fancy restaurant. 

This year, they celebrate their 21st birthdays.  So my sister and I decided it might be a nice idea to take them away again for a girl's weekend.  When we broached the subject, my daughter's first question was "Are we going to have to listen to tapes on preparing for Womanhood?"  The second question was trying to organize everyone's schedule to coordinate a time that would work.  This was  a little more complicated.  When they were 10, it was just a matter of letting the teachers know that they would be out of school for a few days. 

Eventually though we managed to work something out, and my daughter and I climbed on board.  We had a perfect situation.  She likes the window and I like the aisle, and no one sat in between.  She was in charge of taking pictures of our ascent and descent.  We had a perfect night to watch the sun setting on the mountain. 

Once we arrived, it was a whirlwind of relaxation.  Pedicures, shopping, trips to camp to connect the cousins, movies, and of course, chatting - lots of that. 

Everywhere we went, I took my camera to capture the moments.  

For our grand finale, we went to a hotel, which was in a 'village' of three stores, a gas station and a spa.  There, we enjoyed spa treatments and more shopping. 

We ate ice cream, and solved the world's problems by the water feature. 

We went for walks through the woods and enjoyed nature. 

We even went for a drive around the lake houses and bid on the ones we thought we'd buy. 

All too soon, it was time to leave. 

This time, my daughter and I had a wonderful view of our own valley. 

As a special bonus, my daughter got to see the inside of the cockpit at the end of our journey.  She even got a picture taken of her in the captain's chair.  When her dad wondered why it had taken so long to get off the plane, she said "It took a while to parallel park the plane, Dad". 

I am immensely proud of our girls.  They have grown into accomplished young women, who offer so much to their world.  They each have a sparkly personality, and are a wonderful combination of confidence and compassion. 

I feel so fortunate to have a sister who had the foresight to pour into her kids' lives in their growing years, and that she challenged me to do the same. 

We promised the girls that the next time we take them away, we would listen to tapes on "Caring For Your Aging Parents". 

Pedicures optional.