Crowd

Disclaimer : I know it's not Friday. It nearly is....but that's the 'wrong' Friday. This is for last week. I guess life got  busy. But it's still five minutes......

Crowds.

I don't like crowds. I think of the Trafford Centre on the Saturday afternoon before Christmas. That gives me shivers. Part of that is the paranoia that rages, part of it is by upbringing - Mum and Dad never did crowded shopping, we always went early in the morning!

Being part of the crowd.

I've never been part of the "in-crowd". I was more on the edge. Friends with lots of people, but not being part of the popular bunch. I think I'm happy with that. I have a lot of fabulous friends that way.

But crowds of young people.That is one thing that make me worry about my girls and their teenage years. Already blonde, leggy and (with a mother's bias!) beautiful. Will they want to be part of the crowd? Will they be strong enough to stand out?

Esther seems pretty strong in her own opinions. (Opinionated? Yes. Gobby? Yes. Gorgeous? Definitely!) When she was about 3, she started ballet and when I bought her first ballet leotard we discussed colours. It came in pink (obviously!), blue or white. She chose blue. I did point out that all the other girls wore pink, but no, she was strong, she wanted blue. And blue she had. She wore it as an individual. She stood out from the crowd.

She's quite an independent little thing too. Likes to play with different people, has no 'best friend' at school and is happy in her own company. I pray that stays with her. And with Phoebe. That they won't follow the crowd to the wrong places. That they will have the strength to stand up for what is right.

Or I bury my head and ignore the thought of the teenage years!