She's Scared of That Little Guy

She's scared of that little guy, whispered the little girl as she pointed to a cherub-faced doll with a tuft of hair on its head.  The little girl was my 3-year-old niece who was attending our wedding rehearsal party at my future in-law's house.  The "little guy" was a friend of my fiance's who was making googly eyes at my niece but she wanted no part of him.  The doll was my future sister-in-law's doll that she played with as a young girl.  I remember that evening as if it were yesterday; and yet it was 19 years ago. 

My niece, Amanda, is 22 years old today.  What happened to the little girl who complained about a bee in the "towlet" when she went into her Grandma and Grandpa's washroom?  What happened to my flower girl who, dressed in a white satin gown to match mine, ran down the church aisle with my bouquet when she saw her daddy waiting at the front with his camera?  What happened to the little girl who came to my apartment to sleep over a few months after Rob and I got married, ate a box full of Smarties and threw up on our duvet?  What happened to the niece who danced to the Lenny Kravitz song "Always on the Run" that her uncle used to play?  What happened to the little girl who sang solos in the Hamilton Children's Choir at the magnificent Christ Church Cathedral on James Street North?

Well, Amanda's all grown up now.  Although she still has a beautiful singing voice, she is the teacher now rather than the student.  She continues to dance to music, although it might be on her new I PAD rather than on CD's.  She still likes chocolate, although her sister likes it more.  She still looks pretty in a white dress, but she is more likely to wear a bridal gown than a flower girl dress in the near future.  She continues to stay away from creepy guys who make googly eyes at her.  And she still complains about bees in the "towlet".  Thank you, Amanda, for all of the memories.  Happy Birthday!




Photo of Hamilton Children's Choir courtesy http://www.kathaumixw.org/ 
Amanda is located in the 3rd row from the front, the third girl from the left.