Girls Wilderness Camp

This morning I got up, showered, dressed, had some juice, woke Clarissa, talked with her while she straightened things up, sat with her while she made some buttermilk sourdough Cinnamon french toast [her favorite], watched her tiptoe into her brothers rooms and gently say good morning and see ya later, took her to the store for a sprite, some crackers, a candy bar - Hershey's of course, took her to the 11th Ward building, peeked over at her brave face, holding back the tears that she has been so accustomed to shedding as she prepared for this next step in her life, got out of the car, held both of her hands for at least a half an hour, hugged her a dozen times, kissed both cheeks, hugged her again, smiled to hold back the tears, and let go. I let her go, she ran over to her leaders car, turned right around and ran back. I hugged her again, and this time she handed me her open hand, I knew what she wanted, a kissing hand...like in the story that I read to her when she went to preschool, a kissing hand....like the one that I gave her when she went to kindergarten, a kissing hand....like the one I gave her as she drifted off to sleep before she got her appendix out, a kissing hand....like the one that I gave her before she took to singing role in the school play, a kissing hand.... and she was gone. Now all I have is prayer, and the knowledge that I have done my best. I have taught her well. She has faith and courage, divine nature, knows her individual worth, feels that she is in the arms of One who will comfort her. I have done all that I can, and she will be able to do the rest. This week she will laugh, she will fall asleep wishing she was home, wishing that her daddy and I were there with her, she will cry a little. She will love a lot, and she will learn. She will come home with more knowledge and testimony of who she is and whom she is becoming. I let her go....