Old Friends and New Places

This is my friend Lauren (who has very good taste...she picked out the necklace I'm wearing). She's six years old, which is the age that I was when I met her mom. Lauren's mom, Nicole, used to be my mumzy's boss. When I would go in to see my mum at work, Miss Nicole would stop her meetings and take me to her office and brush my hair while I played on her computer. Miss Nicole is a big part of some of my favorite childhood memories...she took me to see my first ballet, she gave me several very, very beautiful children's books (all of which I still own), and when she took me to the Renaissance Festival she bought me a gorgeous ring and she let me get my hair braided.

The most important thing Miss Nicole did for me was the way she always treated me like I was the most important person in the world to her. When I first met her, I was a scrawny six year old. She didn't have to take time out of her day to spend time with and talk to me. She didn't have to ask me questions about my life and what was important to me. But she did. She made a six year old girl feel very important. She's one of those people that left a big mark on me. She taught me the value of treating people (especially children) with generosity and kindness.

A few years ago, Miss Nicole adopted Lauren, and now I get the chance to spend time with both of them. This past weekend we went to the American Girl store where I reminisced and relived the magic of my childhood...I was a huge American Girl fan and I had never been to the store before, so I think I might have been just as excited as Lauren (But not as excited as the little girl we saw shaking the locked doors of the store before it opened!). I had one of the regular dolls and a bitty baby, along with some of the clothes and various paraphernalia that went along with them. As much as I liked the toys, I was desperately in love with the books. I read and re-read all of the Felicity and Kirsten books (both of whom they discontinued...).

Anyways, between looking at all the reminders of my childhood and being there with Nicole, I kind of forgot that I'm a grown-up now...or at least as grown-up as you're supposed to be at nineteen. I ran around the store looking at all of the toys and books, and remembering my elementary-school friends, Shelby and Juliane, and how we would play for hours and hours with our American Girl dolls. I've been feeling pretty nostalgic lately, so going to this store with Nicole was just feeding the fire. Then someone asked where my daughter was, and the magic was over.