If Only

My daughter has spent all day long on the phone with a boy. This is a boy she's supposedly "best friends" with, but I think she really cares more for him than just friends. I'm not sure that he's as keen on "more than friends" as she is.

I hate to tell her that it's going to get so much harder from here on out. That she may spend a lot of her teenage years crushing over some boy or another that does not return her feelings. I truly hope that's not the case -- I hope that she never has to experience any of the heartbreak that I went through at her age. I want to keep her safe from all that; to shelter her from the more ignorant people that I'm only too afraid that she will encounter in the future.

For example, this boy. He's very sweet, very well mannered, and smart as a whip. He has a mother who is one of the nicest people I know. His siblings are all high achievers, and simply damn good people. He is black. My only reservation, should he and Offspring ever be more than "just friends", is the reaction that their relationship will inspire in others. Where we live, there are no shortages of interracial relationships. You would think people would be used to seeing mixed-race couples, but there is still a bad reaction to it. My parents, for example, would nut completely up to think of their darling granddaughter dating a black man. That's just the way they are. Nothing I could say would change their feelings. Oh, they'd be polite on the surface, but I can imagine the comments that would fly the minute they walked out the door.

Never mind the fact that he's a brilliant boy with a bright future. Never mind that he's destined for great things. Never mind that he's a compassionate boy who seems to truly care for Offspring. If only they could see past the surface. If he treats her well, what should the color of his skin matter? If only their views weren't so narrow. If only I could shield her from all that. If only I could make growing up easier for her. If only, if only...