Downstairs on the floor of Mother’s sitting room, Polly helped Elsie and Twila build a tower, then watched them knock it down. Her mind was still busy weighing the positives and negatives of talking to Mother about her evening with Garrett last night. She’d made up mind and then changed it more times than she could count.

I’ve been talking to Mother about nearly everything ever since the first grade when Willard tried to kiss me behind the schoolhouse. She helps me make the right decisions when life gets confusing. How can I be sure I’m doing the right thing if Mother doesn’t approve?

Polly admired her mother’s strong faith. Did she have an inside track with God? Sometimes disagreeing with Mother almost seemed like disagreeing with God, which made disagreeing with Mother very scary. Polly didn’t want to disagree with God. Well, at least not in principle.

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Polly is 18 years old and and having “growing pains. She needs to individuate, becoming more dependent on God and less dependent on her mother as she makes decisions about life. Sometimes this is especially difficult when one’s mother is a strong Christian. How can one be sure that disagreeing with her isn’t the same as disagreeing with God?

If you have a daughter or niece going through this stage, Sarah’s Legacy might be a helpful tool for them.

Daisy Townsend, 724-373-8445