Anthems For A Four-Year-Old Girl

Ladies and gentlemen, we are floating in my PMS:

Today M_ and I spent most of the day down in the Strip Mall No Mans Land of Northern Virginia hanging out with my folks, with a roundtrip in the car clocking in at around two and a half hours. During that dead zone of car time, M_ demanded that we play her current favorite tune by Broken Social Scene “Anthems For A Seventeen Year Old Girl” on the car stereo no less than FIFTEEN TIMES IN A ROW, enthusiastically singing along word-for-word with each replay. I can't tell you how heartbreaking this was for me, or how many times I found myself barely able to choke back tears at the bittersweet, Loss Of Innocence/Coming Of Age lyrics she was singing, lyrics that so clearly will mirror some of my own feelings come M_'s rise into girlhood in the too-near future:

Now you're all gone
Got yer makeup on
And you're not comin' back
(Can't you come back?)

Ah me, parenting is such sweet sorrow. Listen.

[weeps]

Comments

[Mom101]

Ok so I guess the asking for the same song over and over thing doesn't get better as they age. At least it's not the Backyardigans theme song.

[Kyla]

So, what you're telling me is these kids grow up?
Into teenagers?
Seriously?
Crap.
*sigh*
We'll live through it?
Right??

[Amanda]

OH, man.

[wipes tear away]

You're killing me here. And I'm not plagued with the PMS.

[Maria]

So very sad. I hope it is a long way off, so you can enjoy her a little longer.

[kaleigh]

Y'know, the tween thing (my darling girlie is nine) is pretty great, actually. She's become such fun company and we can actually have conversations! That make sense! And are interesting! And I like her friends! If it stays JUST LIKE THIS forever and ever, I'll die happy. Think it might?

[schmutzie]

I always get that feeling of sorrow when I see girls around nine years old, because that's about the time it all begins to change. Luckily for you, M_ will be little for a bit longer yet.

[joy]

yeah. that would get me going to--i've not heard the song before but it's gorgeous. (and yes. definitely does beat backyardigans)

[capacious]

I'm playing the song loud at my office, bad worker in my cubicle. It's lovely.

Watching one's children grow is so poignant. I can't stand it that my sweet little boys will someday not want to be with me. But those with teens assure me that they will make themselves so hateful that it will be easy for me to let them go.