Time Moves On, Even When We'd Rather it Not.

-------------------Sheila & Ashley Rene December 25, 2004------------

Life is a cruel mistress. Time marches on and memories sometimes are all we have of a life it seems is nothing more than just that... a memory. In this photo my niece is a little over a year old. Now she will be five years old come this October 18Th. It's hard to believe. She just got her ears pierced and she's just as proud as she can be of them. She is adorable to me, but I really don't feel children that small should be having their ears pierced. I feel it takes a choice away from them for when they are older. Now her great aunt, Margie, says well she wanted it done. Again she's four. I always felt this is something a little girl should decide when she's becoming a young lady. Once she decides what direction she's looking to go in with her life. I didn't get my ears pierced until I was grown and a friend of mine, Joe, took me to get them done. I know there were times growing up I felt out of place because I didn't have them done and other girls did, but I also felt special in my own right that this was a decision my mother felt should be left up to me when I was able to reasonably make my own decision. It just seems to me it's rushing past childhood and pushing our children to be more adult-like. That is another thing I've noticed... it doesn't seem like these days parents want there children to be children. I guess because I don't have any children I'm not the best person to be talking about that. I would love to have had a whole house full of children. I am an old school person who would love to have been a stay at home housewife and mother, but that wasn't meant to be.

So many things have changed in the last four years in my life and my family's life that it's just hard to imagine. My brother and his wife got divorced. My favorite uncle died. And there are a million other things I could name that have changed in my life in a short four year period. My niece and my nephew are the light of my life though. What do you think? Should a four year old be allowed to have their ears pierced? What about other things? What age do you think Tattoo's should be allowed? How about Dating? Feel free to share your opinion's and thoughts. I look forward to the comments or emails.