Sometimes...

Sometimes life can seem quite unfair when you're nine, especially when your older sisters get to do all the fun things and your younger brothers can just sit there and look cute and not have any of the responsibilities you have. Sometimes a girl just has to fuss and act hateful and lash out at anyone within reach.

Sometimes the girl can be taken shopping and monopolize the entire event as Mom and sister wait on her hand and foot, trying to make her happy. But sometimes the nine year old just can't control her emotions and she makes Mom and sister regret their efforts and she goes home without.

Sometimes the nine year old thinks she can just run upstairs and pout and watch TV, but sometimes she forgets that Mom doesn't work that way and she has to make amends for several day's worth of ugly.

Sometimes the girl can apologize and promise not to act mean and hateful and that is enough, but sometimes Mom expects more and the girl has to write down all of her inappropriate actions over the past few days, detailing each event.

Sometimes the first draft isn't good enough, especially with torn edges and angrily scribbled words, so the girl has to write it again. Sometimes that draft is just as bad and she has to write it again and sometimes the third draft doesn't cut it either and the little girl is sent back to her room to complete the task as directed.

Sometimes Mom requires additional paragraphs to be added to the girl's list of offenses, including how the nine year old will react the next time she's frustrated and what her punishment(s) should be if there are future lapses in judgement, so the girl sets off to work some more on this mini novel regarding attitude adjustment.

Sometimes the girl thinks the completion of said work is sufficient penance and she is now free to watch TV, but the girl forgets that Mom has been through this twice before with older sisters so the mom tells the girl to get her pajamas on and go read until bedtime.

Sometimes the girl is devastated by such "severe" punishment.

SO sometimes the nine year old girl gets up the next morning, gets dressed without incident, happily helps brothers with morning routines, makes Mom and Dad's bed and tidies up Mom's bathroom (including putting away all the little boy toys in the bath tub) without being asked, smiling willingly and acting charming to the entire household.

And sometimes Mom sits back and watches the nine year old, knowing the little girl will succumb to her temper again and be angry at us all for her position as the poor, misunderstood middle child of the family and probably have to be reprimanded again.

But sometimes Mom knows that even though life is hard when you're nine and you're still figuring out your position in your family as well as your place in the world, that the little girl will be loved through the entire journey and cherished inexhaustively every step of the way.