My Darling Daughter, Larisa

When I gave birth to Larisa (rhymes with Teresa), I expected to have fun dressing her in ribbons, ruffles and curls.  However, I didn’t expect the ribbons, ruffles and curls to be over so quickly.  Larisa spends a half hour every day straightening her hair (no curls), and dressing in t-shirts and jeans…. with man-made holes in them (no ruffles or ribbons.)  Sigh.  I guess I did the same thing at 14, but my mom still had my little sister to dress up and make froofy.

As our children grow, we can only hope and pray that they will reach their God-given potential.  Larisa has surprised us more than once with her writing.  In 2006 we were studying the American Revolution and Larisa chose to write a report on John Hancock.  She researched and wrote for a week before handing in her assignment.  I read it and I was shocked.  Her writing ability took a 10 year leap into the future and I was reading work that was light years ahead of her age.  It was a blinkin’ homeschool report and she included suspense, dialogue, detailed description and drama.  I told RIck that night that I wanted to read something to him.  I read the first page of her report and he said, “That was great, Linda.  What did you write that for?” 

“I didn’t write it.  Larisa did.”

It shocked him as well. He did a doubletake and said, “Read it again.”

With the advancement of my darling daughter’s writing, I encouraged her to enter a story to be published and included in a biography series for middle-schoolers.  We both entered stories… and Larisa’s was chosen…. mine was not.  That shocked me too.  I was at a crossroads between elation for my girl…. and disappointment for myself.  She did well not to rub it in, although my husband kept snickering the rest of the night.  She will be 14 when her first work is published and she is paid for her creative words.  I was 38.

Larisa has been begging for a cell phone for a while.  I don’t see the point because we are always together.  She was trying a logical approach and sassily asked how old I was when I got my first cell phone, trying to prove that she should have one at the same time.  I replied, somewhat sarcastically, “Thirty-seven!”  I may not be able to stay ahead of her in writing, but I’m still in charge of the cell phone acquisition age.

I’ll let you know when her work is available later in the summer.  :o)

Tags: children, homeschool, parenting, published work, writing