So when my daughter asked me to go late to her first period today, I surprised her by just saying yes easily, and not giving her a big lecture/hassle about being two minutes late.
With all the sad news of the day, I didn't mind the chance to spend a bit more time with her, and to make her feel treasured.
We spent the extra time working on her history project. She has to become a Civil War soldier and write journal entries and letters about the major battles. It was interesting -- we had to do quite a bit of research just to create a realistic identity. Although the teacher wants all the students to be male soldiers, my daughter has decided to be a female, masquerading as male. Smithsonian.com alleges that there were at least 400 documented cases of just-such female soldiers in the war. Apparently the pay was about triple what a poor girl could make as a maid or laundress, some of the few jobs available.
I am so intrigued by these Civil War-era details that I'm wondering if I could write them up into a simple children's book. It makes me angry when the stories of real and diverse people become lost under a broad but incorrect narrative.
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