My sister had the good fortune of taking 12 of her daughter’s friends to a movie last week! Her daughter, my niece just turned 11, but in today’s age that means turning at least 18. It’s the same amount of angst and drama that one associates with a growing OUT of her teens!

It all began the night before the birthday outing. A war issued between mother and daughter for over three hours about what she should wear to the movie. New options were purchased and obviously my niece hated all of them, trying them on in front of the mirror one by one and discarding them disgustingly on the bed behind her in an ever-growing heap. They were too kiddish, too weird, too long, the flower was too big, NO ONE wore dresses anymore, the excuses were endless. Finally an old, favourite pair of blue skinny jeans were pulled from the closet, as though she had been waiting all evening to spring it upon mom. This was met with a look of “Why am I even trying to fight this!” from my sister.

Then came the drama to find the top. My niece at 11 stands at 5 feet 4 inches and being super skinny doesn’t help. All she wants to do is find the longest, baggiest thing with horizontal stripes on it, because her style book says that makes you appear wider. The minute it’s pulled out, mother and daughter launch into a tirade that ends an hour later in tears on both sides. I, who have been witness to all this for over three hours now, step in to break it up. The niece is consoled that even though it’s not the nicest clothing in her wardrobe, she should wear it because it’s her birthday. The sister is told to stop being over sensitive and she concedes.

I notice all this with the wise air of one who has none of this to deal with now, but file it away in fast filling compartment in my head, because I bet my bottom dollar, I’m going to be scrambling for it desperately in a few years.