first dance

Isabella is going to her very first dance tonight.

For me, it's somewhat like 'prom' because she's going with an escort.

She's going with a friend (who I have met many times) but I still can't help see it as her first date.

The odd thing about these unnerving teenage milestones is that timelines seem to blur. Somehow, I am seeing 14-year-old Isabella as she was when she was a little 5-year-old, way too young to be going out with a boy. And at the same time, I am seeing her as perhaps, a 25-year-old, way into the future, on her wedding day! I find myself wishing I could turn back time because Isabella seems to be growing up too fast. But at the same time, I am hoping that where this growing-up leads - her wedding day - will be the beginning of the happiest, most love-filled life.

My dear Isabella, I know, I know I am making this bigger than it actually is. It's just a dance, hardly even a real date. And while this day proves that my little girl is no longer a little girl, I hope you can enjoy the night with the same childlike quality you've always had as a little girl. Just dance, laugh and have a magical night filled with glitter!

Oh, and please always remember this love advice of mine here. Because I want your very last dance-partner in life to make you happier than anyone can ever be.

Photos from annnniegirl.