The Birthday of "No"

 Around the time the above photo was taken, our daughter C.C. (now 18) discovered her first favorite word: No.

“Let’s put on your shoes.” C.C.’s response: “No.” “It’s time for night-night.” C.C.’s response: “No.” “Can Grandaddy (or any other male except her father) hold you?” C.C.’s response: “No.”

As C.C. approaches her 19th birthday, high school graduation and heading off to college this fall, her father and I think it would be a good time for, “No,” to become her favorite word again.

Like when she has a test tomorrow but someone knocks on her door and says, “Hey, a bunch of us are going out…want to come?” We hope she’ll say, “No.”

When a boy she’s just met says, “Want to go up to my room and check out my stereo?” We hope she’ll say, “No.”

You get the idea. There will be many opportunities for C.C. to make wise decisions in which the optimal word will be “No.”

About six months into the world of “No,” C.C. discovered a word that was music to our ears. In fact, we were so ecstatic when she first said, “Yes,” that we called both sets of grandparents.

In this coming phase of C.C.’s life there are lots of times we hope she’ll say,“Yes.”

We hope she’ll say, “Yes,” to following her dreams.

And remember to say, “Yes,” to her internal instincts and protect herself in situations that don’t feel “right.”

We hope she’ll say, “Yes,” to new friendships, laughter and, down the road, to love.

And last, we hope she’ll say, “Yes,” to being a woman of integrity, responsibility, humility, empathy and service to others.

Birthdays are milestones, and working on this issue, our annual Birthday Guide, allowed me the opportunity to reminisce about C.C.’s first birthday and the year of ,“No,” that followed.

Until March,
 

-Karin