Sometimes cowgirls DO cry.....

Miss L is a cowgirl.

I know this as certainly as I know that her daddy is a cowboy.

It is an attitude, a love and way of thinking.

She has all of the above.

Tonight her cowgirl status was tested. Not for the first time. Not for the last.

As Miss L saddled up and headed out wearing her boots and HIS trophy belt buckle, she and her daddy were in their element. And she couldn't have been happier.

It was 20 or so short minutes later when I looked up and saw them heading back. Miss L was chatting it up and using her very expressive hands to tell what looked like to be quite the story.

As I finished cleaning up the kitchen she hit the front door and exclaimed....."Momma...I have some bad news. Really bad news. Actually, just kinda bad!"

I said, "Tell me about it."

That is when she preceded to tell about it....

(Yes, that is Peanut....she looks innocent enough. She is in trouble here.)

She told me how Peanut got excited when Daddy and his horse started running. So....she and Peanut started running. Everyone was really excited until Peanut decided to buck. When Peanut bucked, Miss L said she did a somersault in the air, and landed on her head.


Her daddy actually said that she did indeed fall head first onto the ground and landed on her face and when her neck bent backwards she flipped, landing her ultimately on her back. Steven, who doesn't get overly excited, stated that he was just glad she moved so that he knew he "she wasn't paralyzed". He said it looked pretty bad.

Considering the ordeal, she was recovering remarkably, telling me how the incident went down.

I wanted to take a video of her recounting the story because I was so amazed that she was so animatedly telling me about it.

It was at this point that she decided that maybe she wasn't as "OK" with it as she previously seemed. She got a little teary eyed and said, "I don't want you to video me now.....I don't feel good and I kinda hurt."

Although I was disappointed that I couldn't capture the amazing attitude this brave six year old continually displays, I ushered her into the bathroom and told her that "it was ok..." I was just proud of her and how she was such a cowgirl.

She hesitated and said "But I cried a little."

I assured her that it was simply a myth that cowgirls don't cry. For she was most certainly a cowgirl and the fact that after being thrown and landing head first, this little girl, picked herself up and got right back on her horse and rode back to the house proved that. She did it all on her own and all by her own desire. It was THIS that makes a cowgirl.

And this isn't the first time she has done this or reacted in this grown up way. I am also sure that it won't be the last.

After coming to terms with it she did what any daughter of mine would do.

She wrote about it.

("horse bucked me off" is what it says and the picture is of her on the horse and her on the ground)

And then she decided to let me capture the roughed up face. Although, by this time, I don't know that you could tell much. But let me assure you that initially she was scratched, and bruised and in her words, her "lip was bleeding A LOT!"

And then she decided that she would let me record her retelling her harrowing tale. This time it wasn't nearly as animated and she wasn't nearly as excited. It was, however, her story and her words.

I wish I had just a fraction of her determination and resolve.

Oh yeah! Did I mention the fact that she said her lip was bleeding a lot?!