A Feather in Her Hair

Audrey wants a feather in her hair.

"Everything that's cool is inappropriate," she said through her tears.  There I was, in the middle of my bathroom floor, frozen.  "Everyone else has one . . . all of my friends."  "What is the big deal?"  "I don't understand why you won't let me?"  "I feel like what I feel doesn't even matter to you."  "What about what I want?"  I was beginning to feel dizzy.  I couldn't just let this one slide, or bribe her with a treat, or distract her with something she might like just as much.  This one was real and she wasn't backing down.  She wasn't being disrespectful, but she was unrelenting.  The questions just kept streaming in and I didn't know the answers.  "There are lots of cute tops and they are too bare, or cute shorts but they are too short." "I just feel like you want me to look like you want me to look."  And there it was.  Right from her lips to the bottom of my sunken heart.  Deep breath, and here we go. 
     The truth is, baby girl, you and I are not always going to see eye to eye.  I am going to tell you things that you don't want to hear.  You are going to get frustrated and even angry.  You are going to think that I am trying to ruin your life.  I am not always going to know what to say, and I am not going to cave in just because you cry, even though it kills me to see you hurting, even if it is a silly little thing.  I know for you it's not silly.  I am going to try to teach you what I believe is right, and then you are going to grow up and make your own choices.  I will have done my part.  I cannot always promise that I will be right, but I can promise that I will do my best.  And hopefully one day, your character will be the feather in your hair.  I love you. 


  For the record, I did not say that the feather was inappropriate.  I merely felt that it is a trend and I don't like the way it looks. 


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