GIFTS

I clearly remember P’s fifth grade presentation with a new girl. I took photos. Friendships formed. My daughter and her friend B impressed me, their History presentation was seamless, they had obviously worked well together. This was over a year ago, now middle schoolers their world seemed to have changed.

P was invited for B’s birthday dinner.  She roped me in on discussions about the evening.

“Should I wear this?”

“Mum do you think this will be okay?’

‘I have decided I am wearing my loose denim pants.”

A few days later, the change occurred. Two church dresses were folded neatly, ready to pack. This time I did the asking.

“Why have you changed your clothes?”

“B said it is going to be formal so…”

Meanwhile, communication with B’s Mum was ongoing. There were WhatsApp messages back and forth, coordinating how P, B and A (their friend) would get to B’s house from school as well as the time and place P would be picked up after the dinner.

Throughout the planning the excitement that ensued was overwhelming. there were continuous discussions about the day, clothes, presents and the bus trip to B’s house. I noticed a big change when we went shopping for a present, P was buying grown up gifts. A strawberry cheese cake scented face mask. This made me think how grown P had become.

In the evening, my brief encounter with the girls and B’s mum when I picked P up at the restaurant was heartwarming. The girls were totally transformed from the school girls in sweaty tee shirts and jogging bottoms into mini ladies ready to face the world. It was a little humorous seeing them. Young girls transformed into young ladies.

P in her dark floral shimmery dress with spaghetti straps, B. the birthday girl, in a flowing pastel number and C. had on a glitzy black dress with shiny low heeled shoes. Their faces and gestures said it all. I hugged each of them and wished B a super birthday. At that time P. was bobbing like an excited puppy.

“I feel as if I am going to burst,” she announced happily.

P’s narration continued all the way home. They had experienced an evening out with B’s parents and felt really grown up as they sat at their private table, feeling rather independent.