On Emma Turning Seventeen

At our extended family Labor Day/ Birthday celebration last weekend, my brother Will asked me if I was ready for seventeen. I answered "As ready as Emma is". I told Emma about this exchange later that night, she smiled and said "you got that right". Both of us are a little apprehensive for the current stage to come to an end.

Emma with Ellie

A week or so before her birthday I checked with her to see if there was any gift that she really wanted. I had a small list of things already but nothing that grabbed me. Emma had been thinking about it and gave me two things.

• A TARDIS, so she could have more time
• A Pensive, so she could hold onto her memories

That is our girl, right there. A girl who cherishes, who treasures, who is happy and content. A girl who is thoughtful with amazing priorities, mature and grounded and who knows how to get me deep at my core. Also a Fangirl.

For those not in those fandoms. The TARDIS, (Time And Relative Dimension In Space), is the Police Call Box in the British TV series "Doctor Who". It is used by the Doctor to travel through time and space, . The Pensive, from the Harry Potter Series, is a magical shallow stone basin, filled with a silvery cloud-like liquid/gas. This substance is the collected memories of people who have placed their recollections into it. Those memories are stored and can be viewed again in a third person view.

  

This year is already shaping up to be a great year and she will experiencing so many memories that she will want to hold onto. If only I could give her that TARDIS and pensive She started her senior year and although she is taking 5 AP courses (world history, comparative English, environmental science, statistics and Art Studio) it is looking to be a much easier and more enjoyable year than last year. In addition to AP Art Studio, she is also taking Photography and Intermediate Production, which is learning the digital side of art. Emma also happens to have a schedule where she regularly sees her best friends and they all have lunch together, a big change from years prior. They have been friends since elementary school and despite busy schedules are making a point to get together outside of school and they recently went to the state fair together.

Emma is working on weekends at the bagel shop and learning how to drive. She is on the leadership team for the Archdiocesan Youth Advisory Council, participates in youth group, takes piano lessons, is learning Ukulele, participates in her girl scout troop, and is still emotionally available for her sisters. Emma has many gifts and I am so glad that she explores them. 

She is enjoying her life right where it is, it isn't perfect and it isn't always easy, and she enjoys it despite or because of those things, and I am too. I am "as ready as she is" for the next step. It is hard to change/end a comfortable episode and also hard to commit to something new, when nothing new is standing out. She has expressed an enviousness of those who seem to know what they want to do in college, while instead she has everything available to her. Too many

options can be paralyzing and moving forward in a college search has been difficult. But she does want to go and she desires new experiences and interactions with new people, and she is ready.

Happy 17th Birthday!

I love you!