Once there was a girl named Margaret. Margaret was halfway through her eleventh year and was the tallest of her friends. Margaret’s mother traveled a bit for work and so was wary of her daughter’s age. As Margaret embarked upon her eleventh year, Margaret’s mother made sure her daughter was prepared. She bought her a book, talked to her at length and, perhaps most importantly, Margaret’s mother bought her daughter supplies.

Margaret’s mother was convinced that Margaret would get “it” while she was away on a business trip. Margaret’s father was also wary of his daughter’s age, however, not so eager to replace Margaret’s mother when it came to these matters.

Margaret’s mother went out of town on a Wednesday, the day before Valentine’s Day. When she returned from her business trip on Saturday, Margaret said, “Guess what I got while you were gone?”

Without even guessing, Margaret’s mother knew the answer was not a puppy, or a present. “Oh, wow,” Margaret’s mother said. “Is everything OK? When did it happen?” and, “I’m so sorry I wasn’t here.”

“It’s fine. Thursday. I’m sorry when I talked to you on the phone that I didn’t tell you. It just didn’t even occur to me,” Margaret said.

“Did you tell Dad?” Margaret’s mother left her father in charge when Margaret’s mother left town.

“It really didn’t concern him,” Margaret said. “I didn’t feel it was necessary.”

“All right then,” said Margaret’s mother. “Let’s go shopping!” Margaret’s mother loved to shop.

While Margaret’s mother at first felt terrible that she was not immediately available for her daughter on a pretty significant day, she quickly realized that wasn’t the point at all. She’d prepared her daughter for the future and really, that was all she could do. Margaret was just as grateful to her mother for providing information and above all, supplies, as she would have been had her mother been at home that day. Margaret’s mother stood in awe (and maybe a little bit of jealousy, remembering her awkward, embarrassed pre-teen self) at her confident, self-assured daughter.

Margaret will always remember the year she received a very different kind of Valentine. Margaret’s mother will always remember the time she left her little girl to go on a business trip, and came home to a young woman.

And that is the end of the story.

*With thanks to Judy Blume.

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