Daddy Do My Socks Match?

When I was a young man of 9 years old, I found myself in a difficult place. My parents were in the process of getting divorced. Suddenly, I found myself in a position with responsibilities I'd never had before. I was the man of the house and I was still a child. I had never mowed a lawn and had rarely helped in the kitchen. At 9, I had to grow-up. I was leaving childish things behind.

I was changing emotionally and physically. At a time when a young man naturally begins to think of things like girls, music and sports, I found it challenging to let go of the toys of my childhood. The natural process of maturing was accelerated and I clung to the things that had brought me comfort in difficult times. It's funny how the mind works.

My oldest daughter is now 10 and in the same place I was in so long ago. She's at the point in her life where she finds herself drawn to the things of adolesence but still longs for the comforts of her past. Her life has been a little less tumultuous because she has both parents in the home, but it's a still a huge step.

What a difficult transition! The changes a child experiences between childhood and the preteen years are metamorphic. I find myself amazed as I watch her blossom into the young woman she will soon become. Her hopes for the way ahead are pure and untarnished. She has the confidence to be who she is no matter what others think or say. I'm proud of this young lady who I know will achieve for greater things than I could ever dream.

So, it's with a little embarrasment that I confess I'm not ready for her to make this transformation. I'm not ready for her to put aside the Barbie dolls for the mp3 player. I remember how difficult that time was for me, so it's been a little disconcerting watching her make the transition so smoothly.

When we talk about needing to thin out items from our daughters childhood, I'm the one who fights to keep the dolls, dress-up and other toys, some broken, some rarely played with since the day they found the bottom of the toybox. It's funny how the mind works. My daughter's are ready to make the transition to adolesence but I want to hold on to the memory of the little girls they were.

I want them to stay my little girls forever. At some level, I think they will, but I know that I have to let this change happen naturally. I'll be okay. We'll say goodbye to Ken, the Barbie Jeep and the Veggie Tales toys to make room for the Jonas Brothers. It's a good thing I like some of their music because they're too stinking handsome for their own good. When did girls start liking boys at 7 and 10? I'm never gonna survive dating!