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Tuesday, June 14, 2011

It Began With A Conversation

Saturday night after the lights were out, Belle's prayers had been said, and I was tucking her in, she whispered, " Mommy, can you turn on the light and shut the door?  I need to have a conversation with you."
I did as she asked and her eyes welled up with tears as she said, "Mama, I think I might be brave enough to get my ears pierced. Can we go tomorrow on your birthday?" 

Back when she was a baby I had decided not to get her ears pierced until she was a little older and wanted them done.  I had heard horror stories of babies with pierced ears yanking them out, earlobes changing, etc.  I just wanted to give her the freedom of choice.  From the time she was a toddler on I told her numerous times she could get her ears pierced whenever she wanted.  At first her reply was, "When I'm five."  Five came and went and her answer changed to, "When I'm six."  Then it was, "I'm too scared too, when I'm older." 

She has to wear clip-on earrings for her dance competitions.  Clip-ons HURT.  I told her repeatedly that getting her ears pierced would hurt a lot less than that repeated pain.  I'm not sure if it was having to wear those darn clip-ons on Saturday that prompted this conversation or what, but she was suddenly feeling brave.  She asked me to tell her about what happened when I got mine pierced the first (and second) time.  With a huge smile and tears streaming down her face she said she wanted to do it on my birthday, BUT, she wanted to be able to change her mind if she wasn't feeling so brave the next day.  Fast forward to Sunday and she woke up brave.  She insisted she wanted to get them done after Hubby and I picked the kids back up after our date.  She also said she wanted to keep it a secret "in case my brave goes away."  Even though she threw out this disclaimer, as she walked into the In-law's house she proudly and loudly proclaimed, "I'M GETTING MY EARS PIERCED TODAY!" So much for a secret! 

She was still feeling brave when we picked her up, so off to the mall we went.  She was brave picking out the earrings, brave sitting in the chair getting marked up, but then her brave quickly went away for a second.  As the 2 ladies had the machines up to her ears she whispered in tears, "Mama, I changed my mind!  Can I please change my mind?!"  Through tears, watching a teen get double pierced, and a lot of talking (about 25 minutes worth) she found her brave.  So proud of her. 

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