"On Turning Ten"

The 9-year-old grandgirl is turning 10 in three weeks--"double digits," she points out.  It is a landmark birthday, this one.  I remember the happening in my own life.  At this point in time, as I am nearing 70 and have more than a few double digit birthdays under my belt they aren't so important.  However, I do remember the excitement revolving around the first one.   

This grandgirl, the "old soul," has been waiting for this special birthday for months.  Something magical is going to happen, I am quite certain.  It's akin to being old enough to go to school, to get one's driver's license, to vote.  All the events which require being a certain age.  This one is mental, though.  I am unable to think of anything which specifies the need to be at least 10 years old for compliance.  

Turning 10 carries with it the very real sense, the reality, of growing up.  Middle school is at hand, the teen years and high school are just around the corner. I've watched Ayden, and a different type of maturity and personal responsibility is developing within her.  There is an awareness of the fact that she is getting older, and she is stepping into that role. It is a joy to watch, to observe. 

Plans for a birthday party are underway, and I have been invited.  In fact, I was given a hand-made invitation.  While it included the date and the place for the party, a pool party, there was a side note:  "Try to bring a present."  That one made me laugh, but its diplomacy does bear out my point.  She is growing up, and it is happening right before my eyes.   Happy birthday, Miss Ay!!