"I went to the Adventure Playground with Dani.
That was it. She might have been the skinny waif like kid whose friends towered over her, but that didn't stop my little girl - she knew what she wanted and where she was going in life. And wasn't afraid to say what was on her mind. She was a leader in all the best possible ways. If a girl twice her size was bullying someone in the playground, she'd be straight in there to defend the victim. If someone told a lie to get themselves out of trouble and someone else into trouble, she'd be in there with the truth. It's almost like she never learned how to lie, fib, distort the truth.
Some might say it's a social skill that she lacks, because her absolute inability to deviate from the truth gets her in deep water. But infuriating as it is sometimes, I admire, respect and am in total awe of her. She just can't tolerate people who aren't totally truthful.
Last night I emailed her asking her is she would like to come to a rather difficult business dinner that I have tomorrow night (she knows the people involved) and I thought she would be a good person to be there. Strong, direct, as well as charming, funny and nobody's fool. I tried to tempt her with a really great restaurant that does puddings to die for. If she has one weakness, it would be fair to say it's food (well, maybe, and I say just maybe, on a good day her boyfriend Mark might pip food to the post). Might she take the bait and get drawn into my devious scheme?
The email reply popped straight back.
"Nope"
That's my girl. Not the answer I'd hoped for, but true to form. She hasn't changed one bit since she was that skinny little 3 year old, still not afraid to say what's on her mind. And if she can say it in one word, all the better.
