We are a Girl Scout family. The adventures, the friendships and skills gained during Girl Scouts will shape who and what my daughters become. I should know- I was also a Girl Scout.

My Mother, My Leader

My mother was my troop leader. If you know my mother, you know she hardly ever leaves the house without heels or lipstick. She’s always dressed. She isn’t the first person who you would expect to take 15 girls on hikes through the woods or camping in tents. When you tell people that I was a Girl Scout and my mother led our troop, most people ask, “Troop Beverly Hills?” Nope. Not us.

As a Girl Scout under my mom’s watch, we planned our activities and meals. We did the shopping. We set up and cleaned up camp and made our fires and meals. My mother was always there ready to jump in to prevent disaster. But she never had to. She was our cheerleader and coach- pushing us to continue trying no matter how high the mountain was to climb or how long it took to start a fire. There were some days when girls seemed ready to quite. But they didn’t. We are all so much better for it. As Girl Scouts, we learned to problem solve, to stand on our own feet, and to support other girls. We gained confidence in ourselves and led.

Recently, my mother received a message from a girl in my troop who often complained about the hikes and wanted to give up. She thanked my mother for never letting her quite and pushing her as a Girl Scout. She gave my mother credit for giving her the necessary skills to now serve our nation as a police officer.

Now, Their Leader

Now, it’s my daughters’ turn to join Girl Scouts and mine to help lead. As I pinned my oldest daughter one year ago today, it reminded me of the promises I made, how much I learned, how I was forced outside my comfort zone, how I became friends with so many girls outside my circle, and how small the world is. I can’t help but wonder every time I look around at the girls in both of my troops- what role will these girls play in my daughters’ lives? How will each one of them shape who my daughters become?