The Ears are Pierced

Johnny and I have always said that we would pierce Elle’s ears when she was good and ready, and when she had the desire to have them done. Thus far, in her little life, she has not had much of a longing for earrings. However, all that changed last week.

Elle was just randomly talking to me about when she would get her ears pierced. I was kind of surprised that she was talking about it, so I asked her if she would like to get her ears pierced. And that’s all it took. From that moment on she was hooked—she had to have her ears pierced. Nothing else mattered. I think she asked me every hour of everyday, until finally, today, Elle and I had a Mommy/Daughter date to get her ears pierced.

Elle was ecstatic. She held my hand, and was all smiles the entire way to the store. When we got there, she picked out some earrings, and happily sat in the chair. She was still smiling as the lady made the little dots on her ears. The smile was still there when a second lady was called to help do the piercings (Elle would never have allowed them to do the second ear if they did not do them at the same time). But as the two guns were pulled out and placed at her ears, the smile wavered—she was a little unsure. And when they counted to three and pierced her ears, the smile was gone. It was replaced with a frown and tears. Elle was shocked by how much it hurt; and so was I (I was two when I had my ears pierced, so I definitely did not remember how it felt). I gave her a hug, and told her how exciting it was that her ears were pierced. She was not comforted in the least—she was upset. She did not like at all how the entire process felt. Her ears were red, they hurt and she could not get past the shock and pain. But with a little more encouragement from me, she stopped crying, and looked in the mirror. And that is when the smile returned. Her ears were pierced, and she loved them. Everything was fine.

After that, we topped our date off with a cinnamon twist, a rocket ride, two gumballs and some window shopping. It was a great day, and Elle could not love her earrings more. She is so happy to FINALLY—a week is a long time to wait for a four-year-old—to have her ears pierced.