My niece turned 13 this weekend.
Since her much heralded birth (our family’s first) she’s deepened our collective love for the color pink and introduced everyone to the zen of Hello Kitty. Personally, she’s been my go-to gal for everything girly from high tea and make-believe spas to show tune sing-alongs.
Although we live exactly 2781 miles apart, I’ve noticed some big changes this year. Like most adolescents, she’s becoming more self-conscious about what others think, especially at school.
Although she taught herself enough spoken Japanese (on the internet) to voice over her original anime videos on YouTube, this creativity doesn’t always translate into academic success. Especially when it comes to spelling and math. In typical take-charge fashion, she even tried to remedy the situation by getting a pair of fake glasses to “make herself look and feel smarter”.
Like concerned parents and doting aunties everywhere, I can’t shield her from life’s realities. What I can do is offer her skills and support in recognizing and building on her unique strengths, like an innate capacity for self-reflection.
She took this photo immediately after we saw Legally Blonde on Broadway for her 11th birthday, saying she “always wanted to remember how happy she felt”. I hope that she’ll use this photo, along with the skills learned in PeakPerformance every time she feels less than what she truly is…amazing.
Can’t think of a better birthday wish.
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