On p.43 of The Truth (I’m a girl, I’m smart and I know everything) the girl says: “Paul and I are the same height now.  I grew this year and he didn’t.  My mother says that is common at my age.”

“I liked it when he was taller than me.  But I still love him.”

Yes, we have all had crushes.  I remember how in love I was with a fellow who took me to the movies when I was 13 and my family met up with his family at a summer resort.  I barely knew him but just sitting in a summer movie house for two hours with him and wow! holding his hand was enough.  All summer I waited for his letter that he had promised to write.  Day after day.  I carried the torch for two full months.  I couldn’t believe he hadn’t written.  After all, he had said he would!

My mother tried to console me and told me there would be lots of other boys.  Her kindness only partly helped.  I had to live through the esctasy and the agony myself.  Good news, by September, he was but a vague shadow in my past.  Someone else had my eye .  But that is another crush story!

How about you?  Who did you have a crush on?  What happened?  Was your mom helpful? 

And what about your daughter?  Does she share crush information with you?  Do you think she should?  Dr. Barbara Becker Holstein