GIRL POWER

By Christine Jayakaran

Have I told you about my daughter? When she entered our lives it was turned upside down in the best possible way! Celeste is truly like her name suggests, a slice of heaven. She has so much pizzazz and oomph (I can't even use regular English words to describe this girl!) that I sometimes need to pinch myself to believe she's for real. She puts together her own outfits, loves nail - polisht (yes that's how she says it) and will drop everything to go shopping, even if it's just for groceries! She's 6 going on 16 so the drama is real at home (ask her brothers).

As a baby, Celeste had us completely fooled with her dimpled cheeks, ridiculously chubby face and the cutest belly laugh. I assumed she would always be this cute little thing who would carry us through any situation with her joy and sweetness. She hits 3 and all of a sudden she changes into this little .... no not monster.. what's the word I'm looking for... nope.. still not getting the word for it.. but let me describe her a bit to you.

She will help you but, on her own terms. She will scream in the most shrill voice if she doesn't have her way. She will thulp her brothers if they hurt her. She will refuse to talk to her father if he disciplines her. She will say no in the most annoying way to everything we say (even if the default answer should be yes!). She will cry on demand if need be, to try and get us to change a rule or a punishment! She will switch her mood from happy to hangry in a few minutes. And the list goes on!

I was at the end of my rope with her. Really. I felt like I was clinging onto sanity by this tiny unravelling thread. With the boys I can maybe raise my voice or take out my trusty spatula to get a job done but with this one she only got more hardened in her stance if I raised my voice. So yes I was exhausted on every level with her. Until a month ago during one of her rants that I had this out of body experience (or out of mind experience I dunno!) She was explaining to her brothers why she did what she did in a rather loud and very authoritative voice and she was just not cowing down to them. I just watched her and at that moment found myself wishing I had that voice quality and that confidence. She stood her ground and did not get intimidated by these two sweaty and irritated guys who stood before her. As I watched her I realised I had gotten this all wrong with her. I was struggling to contain and conform things about her that made her uniquely her. She has a loud voice, is relentless in an argument and is very emotional. Right off the bat I could see a dozen job opportunities for her including lawyer, CEO and principal. (I'm sorry in advance for those who will work for her ). I realised then that beautiful voice needed to be taught to be raised for only the right things. Her relentless spirit must be used for the good of others and that emotional being was the core of who she was. She has a heart for people, a heart for justice (although right now it's more of self preservation) and an ability to love much. Why on earth was I trying to change what God had intrinsically placed in my child?

So that day I got on my knees and hugged this girl close and whispered in her ear how beautifully perfect she was and that together we are going to learn voice modulation, self-discipline and how to love others the way Jesus loves us (quirks and all). Having Celeste has opened my eyes to the enormous strength, capacity and ability every girl and every woman has. Until I had her, I lived in this pleasant little bubble of me, my family and my life. Celeste has opened my eyes and my heart in more ways than one. Like my youngest son says 'Girls rock and boys sock' which probably translates to 'Boys have dirty socks'. (Sorry boys- but it's the truth right??)

Happy Women's Day precious women of the earth! What an amazing sisterhood we can be if we can lift each other up and celebrate each other every single day, every chance we get!