Little Girls, Young Ladies, and Women

As I was looking through the updates on Face Book this morning, I saw where a friend of my oldest son Joshua was having a birthday today. I still talk to her all the time too. She's now all grown up and has two beautiful children. Gwendolyn (Gwennie) has since moved away, but I love being able to watch her life continue to unfold in stories and pictures here on Face Book. As I posted a Happy Birthday to her this morning, I added a picture, a prom picture, of her and Joshua, to my words of wishes for joy. Then of course, my mind began to wander back to all the young men and women that had remained a part of our lives.

Amanda Burdick (Mandolyn) and Justin Alday still live here in Quincy, and they now have a beautiful, sassy little girl. Amanda was one of my sons very best friends in high school. His friend and protector. She came to our house many times. Stayed with me a few weeks after moving out, then I helped her decorate her first Christmas tree in her own first little home. She and Justin helped Zach and I move from our old house to this house on Lowe Street, and helped paint the inside of the house from end to the other.

Kimberly Colomb (Kimmie) has a handsome little boy and is about to get married! She too made visits to our home during their high school years.

Aliza is busy traveling the world and seeing everything she can possibly see. I got to see her again two years ago when she was stopping through on her way to Australia!

Stacey (Doodlebug) Mills Cossins who is married now to a wonderful young man named Shawn. They live in Jacksonville and actually came to see one of our youngest sons football games when we played there this past Fall.  I still get to see Stacey on holiday occasions and through chit chat on Face Book. 

Tracy Hall Johnson just married the love of her life and had beautiful little baby boy in addition to the bonus daughter she gained when she met her wonderful husband Grayson.

My youngest son is forever asking me why I am friends with all his old girlfriends?!  Why do I still talk to them? Why do they still feel the need to talk to me? I tell him, I don't see what's so strange about it. I tend to get attached to most of them. He has good taste in his choices of girlfriends, so why wouldn't I still communicate with them when they are no longer dating? Whatever their reasons are for no longer dating have nothing to do with me. But I think I mostly attach myself to the girls, because I don't have any of my own.

Mollie Edwards so graciously accompanied me to a show of "So You Think You Can Dance" several years ago. Katy Jo Helm and I have been to the movies, out to eat, I've seen her dance, and had dinner here at our house to catch up on our lives. And I think Miss Kay Fletcher is Mims' favorite of all. He still calls her our old daughter in law! Sara Green was not necessarily a girl friend, but she is one of Zach's friends that I have grown very attached to over the past few months. She's my walking partner and my teenage voice of reason. And of course, I love all the girls of Zach's class, I've known most of them since they were little girls and I have absolutely loved to watch them grow and change into wonderful, beautiful young ladies.

Maybe because I'm his Mama, it's hard for him to understand why any of these girls would "like" me? I would guess because I am NOT their Mama, and they can talk to me, laugh with me, in a little bit different fashion. He forgets about how much he tells me he likes Miss Denise Fletcher (the sweetest ever), who he helped do yard work and I can't get him to take out the trash. Miss Donna Sirmons (whom he LOVES), that he will sit with at a volleyball game, but won't speak to me as he passes me by on the bleachers. Miss Holle Boykin (gets the coolest Mom vote), whom he would do ANYTHING for, she just has to ask. And now Miss Susan Pichard, who he says is really sweet and nice.

I am so privileged to be a part of all of these girls lives, then and now. I wouldn't be able to put a dollar value for my memories or past conversations. I'm so excited to be able to watch them become mother's, wives and one day grandmothers. I don't know how much of that I will be able to personally see, but I intend to enjoy every minute of it while I'm here.