Hebrew for "Compassion"

Dara.
All of 16-going-on-17.

She is discovering her inner ambitions,
defining her own character
and while sometimes that process
leaves me with smoke curling around my ears,
there are small moments
that leave me so impressed with her choices.

Last week,
she went from being grounded,
her phone privileges suspended,
and basically on lock-down
to absolute freedom come Sunday night.

It was a teenaged miracle I tell you!

The turn-around began Thursday afternoon--
she called me at work to ask if she could go to a girls' house
to do a "makeover" on her.
Now, if I haven't shared this before,
making-over friends is something Dara aka Daisie
loves!
She loves fashion, make-up and hairstyling.
All of it.
"What Not To Wear" is a favorite show of hers--
she really pays attention to the details.

Anyway,
she'd told me earlier in the week that a classmate had approached her
about doing a makeover on her,
so when she called and asked if she could go over afterschool,
I gave the go-ahead.

Over the next two days
Dara spent a considerable amount of time
afterschool
working with this young woman--
teaching her how to style her hair,
apply skin care products and make-up,
the two of them went shopping
where Dara showed her how to dress for her body-type,
add accessories and shoes, etc.
She also went thru Stacey's closet--
tossing out old, out-of-style, too small
clothing and shoes.
It took hours and hours to get thru it all,
Dara says.
Why?

Because this young woman has Asperger's--
and needed the help.
Her parent's expressed much gratitude to Dara
for her time and effort
as none of their daughter's peers have ever taken the time
to do anything like this...
and that means alot to them.

Dara surprised me when she told me
that she had the patience to watch Stacey try on
every single piece of clothing
and then explain the emotional attachment she had to all of it.
"That took alot of time, Mom."
But Dara, being Dara, wasn't having any of it--
she said,
"I told her, 'Yeah, your granma may have given it to you, 
but it's too small, it is not attractive--
and you don't need it to go with your new style."

Ha! That is so Dara.

By the end of the second day,
Stacey was smiling at herself in the mirror
and her parents thanked a young woman
they barely knew
for putting that smile on their daughter's face.

As Dara related all of this to me,
I have to admit,
I felt great relief knowing this teenaged girl of mine
looked beyond herself to care for someone else.
Even when it was alot of work.

Dara has hopes that Stacey will come to school today
rockin' her new wardrobe and look.
"Maybe it'll help her make more friends n' stuff."


She earned back her phone and other privileges--
not just because of her service to someone else,
there was a long discussion last night about some other things--
but truthfully,
her service to another daughter of God

really helped her case.

She loves helping others.
Her heart is tender, especially, towards the needy.
I am grateful to be her mom.

"Dara" is hebrew for "compassion".