Liminal
another letter I never gave my daughter
The word liminal seems all around me these days. I learned recently that liminal is Latin for threshold.
What an exciting threshold you inhabit right now! Puberty in general is an inevitable and often unwelcome liminal state between childhood and adulthood. As a society, we’ve decided that 18 marks the end of puberty and the beginning of adulthood. You’ve entered your 18th year and I imagine that liminality feels pretty intense with that transition looming right around the corner. It’s very strange for me to be experiencing this threshold alongside you but unable to be in it with you as a guide. I realize this is a normal part of motherhood. I thought I’d be able to share wisdom with you, protect you from all the painful things by equipping you with the knowledge and skills to easily embrace the task of growing up, but I was so mistaken.