Only Eight

I remember when Zeca was small and was upset about something that has long since faded from my memory, she turned to me and said, "I want what I want." My first thought was, "Oh baby girl, don't we all."

My second thought was "This too shall pass."

But, there are some things that do remain stable over time and this is one of those for Zeca. It could be seen as something negative, as a reluctance to compromise, a challenge. Even we have seen it that way at times. However, as she matures, we also see that she has a strong sense of what she wants in the world and I am beginning to admire that in her.

Today, we had her parent-teacher conference and her teacher mentioned that she loves doing pin maps. This involves reading an atlas and then placing labeled flags on a blank map to mark countries and cities and rivers. Her teacher said, "There is only one issue. She insists that all the flags point in the same direction and insists that her peers place the flags accordingly."

My first thought was, "Well, of course the flags should all face the same direction!"

My second thought was "This is who she is."

She knows how to compromise. She does. I've watched her develop that skill over time though it will never be easy for her. But, she also has a strong vision of what she wants and the challenge will be for her to channel that in a way that serves her.

I think back to the person I was at 8 years old - a quiet little girl who was only interested in pleasing those around me - and I am happy to see her taking a different path.

When I was looking back at old posts and conversations with Zeca that are documented on this blog, I ran across one that occurred when she was only 3 1/2 when she was willing to throw Cinderella under the bus for the greater good.

Funny. Smart. Stubborn.

Even then, she wanted to change the world to fit her vision. That seems about right.