Made to Marvel: In Defense of Girlhood

The other night we were deep into family TV time. One of those perfect, lazy evenings where everyone’s limbs are tangled in blankets, snacks are half-eaten, and no one can agree on what to watch next.

That’s when our youngest daughter sat up like she’d just received divine revelation and said, “Let’s go get the new Benson Boone Moonbeam ice cream cookies at Crumbl!” I didn’t blink.“Let’s go right now!” My husband grabbed the keys. The girls threw on shoes. We were in the car in less than three minutes. A family record! Not only am I so glad we’re that family, the spontaneous, say-yes-to-cookies-at-8PM family, but I’m even more grateful that we’re the kind that cheers each other on in all our silly, sparkling, sugar-dusted joys.

When we pulled into the Crumbl parking lot, another car arrived at the same time. Out spilled a group of teenage girls, all glittery-eyed and glowing with anticipation. You know the type: young, happy, ready for their sugar and their selfies.I smiled and said, “I bet they’re here for the Moonbeam cookies too.”

Of course, they were.

Inside, the energy was euphoric. Girls taking photos of their cookies, gushing over the packaging, hyping up the first bite like Benson Boone himself had just back flipped on the counter.

And then… the glares. The sighs. The silent judgments from a few adults nearby who looked at all this joy like it was some kind of contagion.

But here’s the thing!

Why do we treat girl joy like it’s embarrassing?

Why do we roll our eyes at glitter and squeals and selfies and songs sung too loud?

Why are we so quick to “yuck” someone else’s “yum,” especially when that “yum” is coated in sprinkles and wrapped in unapologetic delight?

There’s a cultural tendency to treat girlhood as something to survive or “grow out of” and to scoff at the sparkle and praise the cynicism.

But I’m raising Proverbs 31 women and nowhere in that chapter does it say, “She rolled her eyes at pink unicorns and scoffed at Taylor Swift.”

It says: “She is clothed with strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come.” Proverbs 31:25

She can laugh. She can delight. She can squeal.

She can love what she loves without shame.

She can grow into a woman who fears the Lord, who builds her home, who speaks with wisdom, who gets stuff done.

Why pretend to be unimpressed when we were made to marvel?

In our house, we’ve moved from princess dresses and fairy wings to skincare hauls and Kpop playlists. And every stage deserves to be celebrated!

Girlhood isn’t something frivolous. It’s foundational. The curiosity, the enthusiasm, the dramatic storytelling about which boy band is superior, it all shapes them into women who feel things deeply, love things fiercely, and live fully.

So yes, we’ll keep chasing the things that sparkle. We’ll blast the music and fangirl over makeup drops. We’ll let our girls be loud, be excited, be joyful, and yes, sometimes a little extra. Because “extra” is just another word for abundance, and our God is all about that.

Let them love what they love! Let them be as sparkly as they want!

They were made to marvel and the world is brighter when they do.