I took my niece, she who dreams of a career in culinary arts, to Eno -- a restaurant that specializes in cheese and chocolate flights. Everything was yummy, of course, but the part I really enjoyed was chatting with her. She's 17, and very focused. She knows what she has to do to get into the right colleges for her chosen profession and is doing what's within her power in terms of ACT/SAT scores, advanced classes, etc. She has discovered something she's good at, she enjoys it, and she can make a living at it. I'm so happy for her, and hearing about her life is so exciting.
She's still a kid, though. I heard about her Halloween costume, her friends, how much she enjoys George Harrison's music … (Not Paul! Where did I go wrong?) Her major problems with her mother, too. I was relieved because they don't seem like unusually serious problems, but I wanted her to know that I heard her, that I took her feelings seriously.
It was a nice way to end a very, VERY long week!
These are the thoughts and observations of me — a woman of a certain age. (Oh, my, God, I'm 65!) I'm single. I'm successful enough (independent, self supporting). I live just outside Chicago, the best city in the world. I'm an aunt and a friend. I feel that voices like mine are rather underrepresented online or in print. So here I am. If my musings resonate with you, please visit my blog again sometime.
Good job, Auntie. :-) Sounds like a faboo time was had by all.
ReplyDeleteI need some qt with my niece. You've reminded me how much I love being with her. Glad you had a nice finish to the week.
ReplyDeleteIt's always nice for a "child" to have an non-parent adult to talk to. I had a neighbor who was like a grandmother. This post made me remember our lunches and conversations we had over the years I was growing up. She passed away two years ago last month. Thanks for the memory.
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