Being Gentle

I think that ZenChick has the idea. Along with all the other love I'm receiving from all of you, her words "Be gentle with yourself" have resonated in my mind and heart all week. That's exactly what I'm doing. I'm still taking it slow, and I'm being gentle with myself. Just as you're all being gentle with me and I love you for it. Thank you.

I think this is something that my sweet Caris is going to have to work on today; not just being gentle with herself, but with someone else. This morning when Charlie was leaving for work, he found a beautiful bouquet of red roses and a note for Caris. He brought it in and called Caris and then he came in and woke me up saying; "You might want to come and see this, Pua."

So out I go to the dining room while Caris is opening the envelope. It contains six more smaller envelopes, each with a number. The directions say she must piece together the poem puzzle to find out what the deal is. She's excited at first, knowing that this is an overture to a request for her to go to Prom. But with whom? We're all smiles as she gets through the first, then the second, then the third, but as it reaches the fourth and fifth, the smile on Caris' face begins to dim. Though she kept exclaiming what a lovely surprise this is and how much trouble someone went to...it wasn't the someone she was hoping it would be. Now what? The sixth envelope, which was the last, said how hurt this young suitor would be if she said no. Seeing as it's a month before the Prom, she was hoping that soon, the young man that her heart is set on would ask, but she knows he's a bit of a procrastinator. She doesn't want to hurt the feelings of the guy who DID go to the trouble of asking, but she says she wants to be true to herself as well.

The mom in me is at a loss. What do I say other than sounding stupid by saying; "Be kind Honey, he went to a lot of trouble and thought." I'm the mom who in Junior year had no date to prom because he stood me up. In senior year, my boyfriend decided a week before that he liked another girl. Two prom dresses never used. I probably would have gone with anyone...had they asked. And now here is Caris, with an invitation, but not from the boy she had hoped. Averie is calling out to her from her bedroom; "Call a friend...or call the guy you like and ask him yourself! Then you can honestly say to this other guy; 'Thank you so much for the nice gesture, but I already have a date for prom.'" Bryson's just rolling his eyes and laughing at her. God, I'm so happy not to be in high school anymore.

What would you do?