I have known for a long time that Beth has a big imagination and an aptitude for drama. As she gets older, I find myself being ever more entertained by the monologues that I have the privilege of eavesdropping on.

She has a penchant for creating a story in her head--with herself as the main character--and then describing the plotline out loud. She speaks in a dreamy, dramatic voice, narrating in the third person with whatever it is she happens to be doing. But what I really get a kick out of is how she refers to herself in these little performances.

"And then...there was a beautiful woman standing by the window," she will say as she gazes out the window.


"You saw a beautiful woman pouring water into a bowl," I heard her say to a playmate as they played "cooking" with water and leaves and buckets outside one day. (I listened for his response, but he did not feel the need to comment upon her beauty. This is the same very manly little friend who once made Beth quite upset when he refused to dress up like a King and escort her to a ball. "I'm a cowboy," he said flatly. End of story.)


"And there was a beautiful woman wearing a pink and purple dress, and she was combing her hair," she said into the mirror yesterday as she got ready for school.

No, there's no lack of self-esteem here for my beautiful little woman.