Clipping their wings

Dressed in sparkly jeans with rhinestones, a cowboy shirt and sunglasses big enough to make Nicole Richie jealous, my daughter walked out the door this morning on her way to middle school. The days of kissing her goodbye as she boarded the bus dressed in cute outfits and pigtails are gone. Her character themed backpack has been replaced with a messenger bag and Kate Spade purse filled with lunch money and glistening lip gloss. My daughter has truly entered the realm of middle school, she has begun to soar.

I watch her walk on her way only to ponder what has happened in such a few short weeks of entering middle school to cause such a drastic change. Obviously I know her friends have become more of an influence. I'm sure the older girls and the way they dress are impacting her thinking as well. I can only pray that she will remain the confident little girl I've worked so hard to raise.

As mothers, we raise our daughters to become women. Hopefully strong women. But at times I wonder do we slowly clip their wings or ultimately do they clip ours?