Don't let your babies grow up to be... grown ups!

One day, many moons from now and despite her fathers' pistol swinging threats, our sweet little girl is going to be old enough to date. It's a scary thought and one that seems almost unattainable at this date in time, but we both know what's coming. The real question isn't when it's going to happen, because only her father and I have access to the key for her chastity belt; the question that haunts me is WHO?! Who is the asshole that is going to steal my daughters' heart and what in the hell can I do to stop it?

As a mother, I find myself constantly planning ahead. I'm always three steps in front of all decisions that affect my little sweetheart; (especially when it comes to matters of the heart), and I always base my strategy on how I think she will react to the situation. That being said, it should come as no surprise that I already have a "journal of sabotage" started for that dreaded day when Isla brings home, Mr. Right(now). If all goes according to plan, his car will leave a trail of burnt rubber from our driveway to the nearest confessional and, unless he shows up for phase 2 of the interrogations, we should be able to rest easy for at least another week.

I guess my biggest concern is the same as all mothers, "I just don't want my daughter to get hurt." But the truth of the matter is that she's going to... at some point, we all do. I think Friedrich Nietzsche said it best with one simple phrase, "What doesn't kill us makes us stronger." And, as much as I don't want her to ever really understand those words, she sorta has to if she wants to survive in this world. We all have our own ways of dealing with the unavoidable reality that is life. While some choose to embrace the present moment and not question the hand they're dealt, others prefer to swim upstream, causing friction and chaos within their own psyche. I only hope the tools that I'm giving her now will one day serve her well... better yet, I hope she's smart enough to use them.