TRUST YOU'LL TREAT HER WELL

Dear World:

I bequeath to you today one little girl ... in a crispy dress ... with two blue eyes ... and a happy laugh that ripples all day longand a flash of light blonde hair that bounces in the sunlight whenshe runs. I trust you'll treat her well.

She's slipping out of the backyard of my heart this morning ... and skipping off down the street to her first day of school. And never again will she be completely mine. Prim and proud she'll wave her young and independent hand this morning and say "GoodBye"... and walk with little lady steps to the schoolhouse.

Now she'll learn to stand in line ... and wait by the alphabet for her name to be called. She'll learn to tune her ears to the sounds of school-bells ... and deadlines ... and she'll learn to giggle ... and gossip ... and look at the ceiling in a disinterested waywhen the little boy across the aisle sticks out his tongue at her.

And now she'll learn to be jealous. And now she'll learn how it is to feel hurtinside. And now she'll learn how not to cry.

No longer will she have time to sit on the front porchsteps on a summer day and watch an ant scurry across the crack in asidewalk. Nor will she have time to pop out of bed with the dawn to kiss lilacblossoms in the morning dew.

No, now she'll worry about important things.

Like grades ... and which dress to wear ... and who's best friend iswhose. And the magic of books and learning will replace the magic of herblocks and dolls.

And now she'll find new heroes.

For five full years now I've been her sage and SantaClaus and pal and playmate and father and friend. Now she'll learn to shareher worship with her teachers ... which is only right. But, no longer willI be the smartest man in the whole world.

Today when that school bell rings for the first time ... she'll learn what it means to be a member of agroup. With all it's privileges. And it's disadvantages too.

She'll learn in time that proper young ladies do notlaugh out loud. Or kiss dogs. Or keep frogs in pickle jars in bedrooms. Oreven watch ants scurry across cracks in the summer sidewalk.

Today she'll learn for the first time that all who smileat her are not her friends. And I'll stand on the front porch and watch herstart out on the long, lonely journey to become a woman.

So, World. I bequeath to you today one little girl ... ina crispy dress ... with two blue eyes and a happy laugh that ripples allday long ... and a flash of light blonde hair that bounces in the sunlight when she runs. I trust you'll treat her well.