Stacie Sherman

In my daughter’s room there is a mini trampoline, a swing hanging from the ceiling and a ton of toys and stuffed animals. She has had most of the toys for years. They all are “suitable” for children far younger than her.

Most of those toys have sat there for weeks, months, years untouched. The wooden six- to 10-piece puzzles. The electronic books that sing ABCs or nursery rhymes. The books, the Barbie dolls, the matching games.

My daughter is 16. And I will keep those toys, and add more every so often, because you just never know.

For the most part, when my daughter is home, her activities consist of watching YouTube on her iPad and videos on the TV in her room. I don’t push her too much to do other activities. She has a very active and busy day at school and I let her chill and do her thing once she gets home.

Most of the time when she is home, she has a My Little Pony in her hand. It is her stim, an object she uses to self-control her emotions. She does not play with the pony like other girls. She fixates on the pony’s hair and moves it back and forth, back and forth. Her favorite ponies are her yellow and purple ones, I don’t know why. They are several years old. I have tried buying her new ones. She likes what she likes.

She doesn’t play with any of her toys like `other girls.’  And yet, she is never to be underestimated. It’s not that she doesn’t know how to play with them. She does. She chooses not to. If I nudge her to do a puzzle, she’ll do a puzzle. If I nudge her to play a few notes on her toy keyboard or beat her toy drum, she”ll do so. If I don’t nudge her, for the most part, she is content to hold her pony and watch her favorite videos.

When the holidays or her birthday come, dear family members ask me what to get her. I used to just say I didn’t know. I just couldn’t bring myself to tell them my 8, 9, 10-year-old child would prefer toys `suitable’ for a toddler.

Now when they ask, I go through the store websites and find toys I think she would like. A talking Elmo, a singing doll. Or I tell them to buy her favorite sugarless gum, or Swedish Fish. You can never go wrong with Swedish Fish..

My girl likes what she likes. She doesn’t like makeup or cell phones (except when she wants to watch YouTube on mine) or designer jeans (though my aunts and uncles did get her some awesome comfy UGGs that she loves). She likes clothes that aren’t tight and don’t have buttons or zippers. Shoes without heels. Sesame Street and Barney. The Wiggles. She likes Taylor Swift and Dixie Chicks. Spaghetti and rice for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Brielle is Brielle, a beautiful ray of sunshine.  A cranky pain at times. But she is what she is. Unique. Special. And spectacular.

There is only one of her. And, like the Dr. Seuss quote on her bedroom wall says: “Today you are You, that is truer than true. There is no one alive who is Youer than You.”