Adults, Home and Fun

I sit here on the morning of June 29th, my 19 year old niece up stairs and I am wondering about my life's future.

She is bright, confident, and growing up to be a charming young lady. I argued with her Mom about this actually. She is here for the summer working, almost a senior at UGA already, and her Mom said she was sending a teenager to me. I denied that and said she was an adult. I must confess to having some stress over this conversation.

If she were not an adult, and were going to live here for the summer, I would not have been a happy person. Part of the reason for her being here, is so I can go to Provincetown and have someone looking after house and home. So having my car, and home being watched after by a teenager as compared to an adult would have made me nervous. I also remembered being 19, and had just gotten the co-oping job with IBM. So, I didn't remember thinking of myself as a teenager. Here I was living in Atlanta, working, and as previously posted searched out this job. I certainly didn't think of myself as a teenager, and so I thought she would be an adult.

And, I was right. She is an adult. She is off to work each day, and seems to have a balanced view on her shoulders. Yesterday she hosted some UGA students who were on there way to Brazil. They had a lay over in Newark for 10 hours so she took them on a tour of NY. I had the pleasure of watching her on the train with them from a slight distance. What I saw was an adult, young lady, who was confident. Who was smiling, and frankly looking more self assured than the two kids with her that were at least a year older than her.

Most importantly, to me, she was smiling. Having fun, and enjoying the day. And, she didn't need me at all. Which showed her as an adult making her way in this world.

Interestingly enough, I am a proud uncle. Her mom should be proud as well. She maybe not wanting to see her grow up, but with her help she has raised a remarkable daughter.

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