“Daddy, twirl!” our five-year-old daughter squeals the first time she sees them wearing a dress. Humoring her, they do a little spin in the middle of our living room. The mid-thigh sweater dress flares out a bit but not nearly enough to qualify as a “twirly dress” according to her standards. Unimpressed, she loses interest in this development and says, “Let’s play mermaids.” And that’s the end of it as far as she’s concerned. I watch as the two of them start to play, noting her ability to instantly adapt and recognize what matters most to her has not changed.
Megan Kosse (she/her) lives in Minnesota. She has an MFA from Augsburg University and enough anxiety to power a small city.