Chloe is now in the seventh grade. A generation ago, this would be the first year of Junior High School. Today it is the second of the three years of Middle School. Typically, the girls pull ahead of the boys in stature and reading skills while the boys pull ahead of the girls in math. Nearly all the girls are using bras and menstrual pads. Likewise, most of the boys are experiencing the effects of a significant increase in testosterone.
For girls, friendships are not merely important; they are everything. With Robbie's departure over the summer, it was unclear what would happen between Chloe and Katherine. While Chloe moved easily among other girls and circles of girls, Katherine had solely focused on Chloe but for Robbie. But three events within the last six weeks demonstrated the Katherine was going through a much needed maturity spurt. They included a shopping trip, a soccer game and a school dance.
As the summer drew to a close, Chloe began planning her back-to-school shopping. Katherine was eager to go shopping together and so was Jasmine. Eventually, Chloe was busy planning “the great shopping of 2012” with Amelia driving all the girls to shop together at the local mall. While getting to go to certain stores was on the agenda, it became clear that the real agenda was about doing it together. Initially, we thought Katherine and Jasmine would not get along and would constantly be making moves to be the one dominating Chloe’s attention. But we were pleasantly surprised to discover Jasmine and Katherine put just as much energy and effort into one another as they did to Chloe.
For Chloe’s first home soccer game, Katherine and her father came to watch. But as I joined them on the sidelines, Katherine was identifying other friends on the playing field. At the end of the game, her father and I encouraged Katherine to cross the field and congratulate Chloe for her team’s victory. But as Katherine crossed the field to get Chloe, I noticed Lydia, an extremely popular friend of Chloe’s intercept Katherine’s path and grace her with a warm and very sincere hug.
Lastly, when the first dance of the school year came around, Chloe made sure to invite friends to our house for a little soiree to get ready. The takers were Katherine, Jasmine and Patty. Again we wondered how well Katherine and Patty would get along and were pleasantly surprised as the four girls helped one another with hair and makeup. Ironically, the dance had nothing to do with dancing with boys. In fact, none of them had any intention of dancing with a boy. The thrill was in showing up together having spent more time than the length of the dance together preparing.
As Katherine and Chloe come of the age when multiple girl friendships are important, it was a pleasant surprise to find Katherine far more ready than expected time after time.
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