Godmothers?

Yeah, we've got them.

So much can go wrong with daughters.  It keeps me up at night, all the things I won't protect them from--careless words, foolish men, other peoples' daughters. Knowing I can't be there, or worse, knowing that I might be, but that they might not care.  I hate to think that they could hate me, or, for a time, not need me.  

So the good Lord, in his infinite wisdom, sent two women to guide my girls through those in-between times.  The times they're fifteen and everything I say is wrong.  The times a compliment is needed, but it doesn't count if it's from mom.

Heather is everything I admire in a woman: determined, passionate, thoughtful, and hard-working.  The perfect match for my head-strong first.

Ashley is kind and patient, well read, nurturing, and diligent.  A "secret fairy godmother" for my quiet Frances.

I was able to ask Heather in person if she was up for the challenge of Jensie Lissette, but Auntie Ashley lives on the other side of the country so we don't have many face-to-face heart-to-hearts.

I meant to make things "official" by sending a letter, but the topic came up on Gmail chat instead.  I love this conversation too much not to share it.

me: I have been putting this off because Nate and I decided that we wanted it to be real for real, real, and I was gonna snail mail to make it more official.

  But that didn't happen.

 Ashley: oh my goodness

 me: Remember our talk at California Pizza kitchens about godparents?

11:39 PM Ashley: what!?????????????????????????????????????????????????

  yes.

 me: I was not joking.

 Ashley: haha

  okay

 me: Will you be Frankie's godmother?

 Ashley: YES!

  Oh my yes!

  of course.

  Erin, my weepy eyes can't take this!

 me: I don't really know what all godmothers do.  We've never had godmothers before.

  

11:40

Ashley:

"Traditionally, godparents were informally responsible for ensuring the child's religious education was carried out, and for caring for the child should it be orphaned. Today, the word godparent might not have explicitly religious overtones. The modern view of a godparent tends to be an individual chosen by the parents to take an interest in the child's upbringing and personal development.[1]"

  see.

  Wikipedia told me

 me: But we'd like you to remember her birthday, not send gifts, but maybe a card, and call her as she gets older so that she knows she has another grown up to talk to and trust when she's 13 and hates us.

11:41 PM And we want you to offer her good advice and remind her that we are making choices that she hates because we love her so so so very much.

 Ashley: DONE

 me: Cool.

  

11:42 PM Ashley: Does she know I am her godmother or, is it a secret?

 me: No it's not a secret.

 Ashley: Am I a secret Godmother?

  haha

 me: Well it won't be.

 Ashley: or fairy.

  I meant Fairy.

 me: a secret.

 Ashley: haha

 me: she doesnt' know yet because we hadn't asked.

  

we wanted our girls each to get their very own.

11:43 PM Frankie=Ashley, Jensie=Heather

  and that was SO easy.

It really was, "SO easy."  Thanks Miss Heather, Ash.  I don't know what we'd do without you.