Courage

It's a hideous day here - damp, cool, raining like a banshee. One of the fringe benefits of recording my every thought in this blog for the last couple of years is that I've come to understand how fully my mood depends on sunshine. This is more than slightly unfortunate given my geographic location.

At any rate, we've just returned from dropping M off at the school bus. She's on her way to camp!

I've spent much of the last decade acting as educator (along with nurturer, protector, disciplinarian, conscience, nag), so it's a table turner what M has taught me today. This little 9 year old just got on a bus with a whole bunch of kids she's never met to go an hour and a half away from home (and keep in mind she gets so carsick that Gravol and bags play a part in every road trip) to see a new location she can barely imagine with no hope of return for 2 weeks. She's never been away from us before (save sleep overs). She's never been to camp. She's such an urban kid that cows and silos are the stuff of movies where spiders talk to pigs and eventually come to an untimely demise.

Talk about defining the spirit of adventure. Every person who's ever undertaken a great risk for a great gain learned that skill through early experience. I'm so hopeful that my baby will be rewarded by some fabulous memories for her courageous leap.

(Now on with the debauchery and dining out!)