Do Boys Have Long Hair?

This morning, as we were walking through a rare patch of sunshine to pick up Carl for this little beauty...

Yup, $1800 so his chin doesn't grow like Leno's.

Anyway, as Elsa and I were walking to the school, I was enjoying the sunshine and she was quiet.

A sure sign something was up.

She held my hand and asked, "Do boys have long hair?"

She was focused and looked me in the eye, patiently waiting my answer.

"Yes" was my instant answer, knowing there was more to the question than the surface.

"I want to be a boy."  She said it quietly but with a whole lot of longing.

Where do you go with that question?

I answered with what came naturally, "God made you a girl.

But that doesn't mean you can't do everything boys do.

And you can still dress like a boy."

I know I've said it before, but I'm so very glad she was not my first child.

I know that if she was my first, I would have projected my own insecurities on her.

Frankly, right now I'm too busy to dwell too long on those insecurities.

Yet, I feel like I have to tread carefully

so that she can maintain her wonderful sense of self esteem.

A little part of me wishes I'd chosen Jackie or Jamie or Chris so that whatever route she chooses in life she keeps as much of herself as she can along the way.

I do love the name Elsa Jane but I love the curly honey-color hair person it belongs to, even if she dresses in her brother's clothes from head to toe.

Really, she is "funkin" awesome.

Nope, that's never going to get old.