boys boys boys!!

It comes as no surprise that my daughter is going to be interested in boys. And that they will be interested in her. She's a funny, beautiful, talented girl. Of course boys are going to be interested!! I just didn't realize how complicated this all was going to be. Not because I was a hermit as a teenager, I was hardly that. But I think we were a little less, I'll love you forever & always. I don't know. I remember some heavy duty crushes and all, but I don't remember having boys tell me how much they loved me after only knowing me for a day or two. It's madness!!

O is in the thick of it right now. And I'm really proud of how she's handling things. There is one particular boy who has been *panting after her* for over a year. And she has been forthright and honest w/him & let him know that she cares for him as a friend, but that it really can't be any more than that. For a couple of weeks she explored her feelings and thought maybe she felt something more than that, but when it came right down to it, she was afraid that in the end he would be horribly hurt if something happened to their relationship. So she let him know that she cares too much about their friendship to do that. It would be too awkward for them after the fact. I'm proud that she realizes that it would hurt him. I also realize something else......

The relationship that she had w/E ~ made an enormous impact on her. She doesn't want to get hurt like that again. And she doesn't want to hurt anyone. It will make it rather difficult for her to ever break up w/anyone as a result. So I think for O it's just easier to like someone from afar than to get right up close. I'm not sure if that's a good thing or a bad thing. I guess I feel it's a mixed bag. On the one hand, I'm glad that she's not going to be in a too serious relationship, because she's too young. Dating should be fun. Go out to the movies, bowling, dinner, football games, talk on the phone, etc. But at the same time, I worry about her wanting to love from a distance. I am afraid that she'll hold people at arms length because she's afraid to be hurt. Thing is, life hurts sometimes. So now I have to pray that we can talk about this openly and w/out her rolling her eyes and avoiding the subject. She did some talking w/me last night, but only to a point.

I do know one thing, when she walks into that party tonight as Marilyn, it's going to be hard for the boy that has been panting to be able to act like he doesn't notice her. I pray that they can just have fun as friends. Gosh, this is all so complicated!! I'm glad I'm not a teenager anymore!! *lol*