I have favorite words. I think it’s the nature of a writer, but nonetheless, one of my favorite words is brouhaha. I first learned this word in high school, and I loved it almost immediately. I still remember the first time I heard it used in casual conversation and how excited it made me. I realize by sharing this, I’m admitting an embarrassing weakness for language but bear with me.
Last summer, I agreed to teach a group of youth at my church. There was some mild hesitation because the older I get, the more I’m made aware of exactly how “uncool” I am. We opened the school year off with the Back to School Retreat and I spent three days with a group of eighth grade girls. I’m not sure I have words for this age group, but imagine a group of girls who are still slightly awkward and unsure of themselves, maybe even still unassuming of the opposite sex. They like Beiber and New One Direction and I think every last one of them owns a plethora of Nike shorts and various Chacos. They still laugh at silly things, and I secretly hope that never stops. They’re completely unaware of how beautiful they are, and I see endless amounts of hope and potential in each one of them. WHen you walk into a room, the squeals are instant and surpass the highest decible imaginable.
During the retreat last year, they were doing something absolutely hilarious and ridiculous, and I made a comment about it being a brouhaha. Somehow, the name stuck and all year, we’ve labeled ourselves “Brouhaha” instead of the stale title of “small group.” These girls are definitely a brouhaha, but they are my brouhaha. I’ve loved watching them grow over the past year, and I can’t wait to see what next year brings them. As they enter high school, I want to prepare them for what’s ahead. High school and teenage years are tough, and I want to do whatever I can to equip them to handle everything that comes their way and hope they can laugh through most of it.
I never expected to love a group of squealers so much, but they’ve latched on to my heart and I can’t let them go. I have a whole summer of fun planned for these girls as I do my very best to teach them how to honor God by honoring their bodies — and not just our physical bodies. What they put in, by way of what they hear, what they see and what they eat, has a direct correlation to what comes out. Man, I sure am excited about this summer. It might be my best one yet!