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Kelly and Arlene are precious friends with whom we spent many happy times when we were in our twenties. Ray was as a campus minister at Ole Miss at the time. Arlene worked as a nurse. Kelly was earning his doctorate in English. I was learning how to be the mama of our firstborn.

We lived in the same town for only a couple of years before Kelly and Arlene moved away for his first teaching position. Now we keep in touch mainly through Christmas cards, but we ran into them unexpectedly a couple of years ago and the bond was as strong as ever. As their children and ours were growing up, our paths crossed more often and I’m thankful for one important thing that Arlene once said to our Bethany: “Don’t let your girlhood go by without reading Little Women.”

She didn’t, and I hope you won’t let your girls’ girlhoods go by without their reading it either. In fact, I hope your sons will read it, too. Our John enjoyed it very much. It would even be a good book for your husband. I think it gives men insight into women. I also think that Marme’s marriage advice to Meg is good for everyone.

Girlhood is one of those once-in-a-lifetime opportunities. Don’t let your girls’ girlhoods go by without their experiencing a girlhood either!

Childhood is a theme of the classic I am listening to now as I jump on my trampoline each morning–I’m trying to wait until I finish it before I tell you what it is. So far, I would recommend it highly, but I’m holding out for the last third before I mention the title.

In the part of the narrative where I am right now, I am hearing the story of a girl who climbs trees, dotes on her father, loves long walks in the country. delights in wildflowers, searches for animal homes, and sings songs to her cousin. She’s almost seventeen.

I hope you don’t get tired of my stories of taking photographs. While I was writing this yesterday, I noticed the sunset out the window by my desk, as I so often do. I saw a lesson there and hurried out into the cold to take some pictures.

Sunset 001

I have written about this before, but it is so true. The only time I could take a picture of that sunset was right then. In just a few minutes, the sun had set and the sky was shades of beautiful, ever-darkening blue.

  • The time to take a picture of  a sunset is now.
  • The time for a girl’s girlhood is also now.
  • The time for a mother to enjoy watching her daughter’s girlhood is now.
  • The time for a mother to share that girlhood is now, too.

One day Zaccheus was sitting in a tree, watching the Savior of the world, when the Savior looked up at him. Zaccheus had a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that day — to host the Son of God. I know he was always glad he took advantage of that particular “today.”

When Jesus came to the place,
He looked up and said to him,
“Zaccheus, hurry and come down,
for today I must stay at your house.”
Luke 19:5

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4 Comments

  1. I’m excited to hear more about the book.:-) The girl sounds very much like my twin daughters, who are almost 16. Whenever we have little ones over for the day, I don’t know who enjoys playing with dolls the most–the child, or my daughters!:-)

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