Let Girls be Girls!
“Girls, let’s pray before we eat,” I say with a smile. Seven heads of curls, buns and half-up-half-downs, in shades of brown, blonde and brunette bow as I bless our meal. After offering a short prayer of thanks, the girls begin to fix their plates. We quickly snuggle up on the big bed and continue to watch the on-going drama of Anne of Green Gables. Only in a room full of girls could you ever experience the delightful oohhs and aahs as the story unfolds. Cheers and clapping accompanied by sighs ring out as Gilbert comes on the screen. Peals of laughter break out when Anne finds “Dolly” in Mrs. Lynde’s cabbage patch again, and attended by Diana, tries in vain to chase the rebellious cow out of the field in the mud! I look at the faces around me, all radiant with smiles and giggles. This is what girls are made of. The unique scene I just described to you is a glimpse of Kamp Kristi.
I am the firstborn and only girl in my family and have three wonderful younger brothers. Sports and legos were much more fun with my brothers than playing dolls and dress-up by myself. As I have grown older I have become an elder sister to many younger girls. I call them my “adopted younger sisters,” or “my girls.”
I created Kamp Kristi from the idea of a sleep-over, where my girls could enjoy styling hair, painting nails, watching all six hours of Anne of Green Gables and take pleasure in being with each other. However, I also had another secret motive behind Kamp Kristi! I thought of it as an opportunity to be an example of a godly young woman and to give each girl a chance to feel cherished and treasured. I desired to be a lady-in-waiting and serve each “princess” in any way I could.
While thinking of ideas for Kamp Kristi, I felt the Lord telling me that He wanted this sleep-over to be something different, to be “set-apart” from the world’s idea of a girlfriend-sleep over. Instead of devoting all our time to idle gossip of subjects which can cause heart ache later, (e.g. boys... need I say more?) and spending hours watching things which only arouse a desire for something which is not meant to be awakened yet, I knew that our time should be occupied with things that would be in accordance with Philippians 4:8, “Finally brothers (sisters) whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable, if anything is excellent or worthy of praise, think on such things.”
With this in mind I planned card making and styling hair to keep our hands busy while watching fun-loving Anne of Green Gables. After a “decent” night’s sleep, we wake up early to make breakfast and then finish watching the conclusion of Anne’s story. Then the sponge curlers come out and up-dos, buns, and curls begin. Roger and Hammerstein’s Cinderella plays in the background and we talk about dresses, balls, and dancing.
Once every girl’s hair has been “bobby pinned to perfection” they all don their most elegant tea party dresses. The room is filled with lace, ruffles, full skirts, gloves, and hats. We walk outside and the procession of pink, purple, whit and maroon dresses stroll down to the creek on our property. There on the “walk bridge” these innocent, beautiful young girls pose for pictures for nearly two hours! Their eyes sparkle with the delights of simply being a girl. I am sure the Lord was smiling down on each of us.
After picture posing, we go back inside to make ice-cream sundaes and sip lemonade for our summer tea party. Then off with the lace and ruffles and on with kitchen clothes for Kamp Kristi closes with a dinner prepared for the families by the girls. We sing along with great enthusiasm to The Sound of Music soundtrack as we work together.
What a refreshing picture. Girls are so special and to see them excited about doing what they do best is an experience only the Lord could create! In the classic book, Little Women, Marmee tells Meg, “I would have my girls be girls as long as they can.” Marmee was wise. Their innocence is a precious thing and the temptations of the world to snatch it away will come soon enough.
Girl time is something that is a must for everyone, even mothers and elderly women. My mother and I often go shopping and for lunch to have an opportunity to be together and have a heart-to-heart talk. It is important to take little breaks in a busy life to have that innocent young girl-feeling again. It need not be extravagant! Something as simple as baking cookies and listening to fun music that you can sing to brings a smile! I have made a list of several ideas that are time efficient and cost effective:
♥ Go for a nature walk! Wear big, funny hats you would not wear elsewhere and big skirts or dresses. Bring your sketchbook and drawing pencils and draw together.
♥ Have a picnic! Whether it is in the woods, at a park or in your back yard, a picnic is a lovely thing! Have each girl bring their favorite storybook from when they were young and take turns reading them aloud.
♥ Go thrift shopping! You will feel so good when you come home with bags of things that cost only $10! If you don’t find anything practical, try on some bride’s maids or evening dresses!
♥ Bake a lovely dessert! Take a few hours and bake a cake or something special and elegant that you have always longed to make, but thought only Betty Crocker could perform! Your family will be surprised and you will feel like you have made a great accomplishment... because you have!
♥ Have a tea party! This is something even my brothers like to do. We always try to make something special about the tea such as candies or cookies. Sometimes, if we are extra hungry, we will make little chicken or tuna salad sandwiches, or even cheese with crackers make a good snack. Even the smallest touch can make tea time into something extra special!
♥ Watch a girl movie! GIRLS ONLY! Borrow a movie from the library. Grab some blankets and snuggle up! Or, you can be extravagant and make ice cream sundaes, do hair, etc. Here are some lovely girl movies which are very clean:
All ages:
“Sound of Music”
“Anne of Green Gables”
“Anne of Avonlea” (The sequel)
“Black Beauty”
“Ever After”
“Little Women”
Older girls, 15 and up:
“Sense and Sensibility”
“Pride and Prejudice”
♥ Dress up! Moms, you can too! Find your old prom dresses or even clothes you got from Grandma and dress up. For a special touch, put on makeup. Wear big necklaces and high heels shoes! Take pictures!
These ideas are just the beginning of lovely memories you can create by taking a little time out of your schedule! In a world where girlish hopes and dreams are often dashed by un-daunting evil, time together with your daughter, mother, sister or friend can make her feel like a priceless treasure ... because she is!
My very favorite author, Louisa May Alcott wrote, “Have regular hours for work and play; make each day both useful and pleasant, and prove that you understand the worth of time by employing it well. Then youth will be delightful, old age will bring few regrets, and life will become a beautiful success.”
So let girls be girls and take advantage of this lovely gift the Lord has given to each and every women He has created! Have fun!
KRISTI WITEK
Greenfield, Indiana, USA
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P.S. I am 18 years old and have been home schooled all my life by my dearly loved parents. Homeschooling is wonderful because it has allowed me to expand my learning in areas I excel. In free time, I enjoy playing piano, singing, drama, historical re-enacting, horse back riding, square dancing, scrapbooking, card making, sign language, writing, and reading anything that has to do with American history! I am an active patriot and encourage others to do their duties as American citizens. During the summer I work at the KOA Campground, (which is my parents’ family business), as a manager and secretary. One of my goals in life is to become a historical re-enactor, to portray godly women in history although my ultimate goal in life is to inspire others to a closer relationship with Jesus, and to encourage the young to a life of sweetness and purity.