I was so happy to see my 13-year-old niece Lily again when she came to stay with us for the summer. But I had no idea that her coming would make me question my old ideas and force me to deal with the gap between generations.
When I opened her bag, I was shocked to see makeup and clothes that were too revealing. I thought I was going to lose my innocent, sweet Lily. As I called her mom, Emily, to ask for help, I felt panicked.
I watched Lily for a few days and tried to figure out what was going on in her world. We talked about our feelings, told each other stories, and baked apple pie together. I saw that Lily was still the nice, smart, and interested girl I had always known, even without makeup or clothes on.
As we laughed and looked through old picture albums together, I realised that growing up is about finding out who you are. Lily wasn’t trying to fight against me; she was trying to find herself.
I learnt to accept change and believe in Lily’s path. I learnt from our summer together that even big gaps between generations can be closed with patience, understanding, and a desire to listen.
It’s nice to remember that people don’t change much when I think about the time we spent together. We are all just trying to get through life. Sometimes, all we need is some love and understanding.
