All three of my children swam across the river of hormones into puberty at the very early age of ten, while in fifth grade – the last stop on the elementary school soul train. As they sprouted new height, zits, body hair and body parts, they remained surrounded by clear, cherubic complexions and the straight, flat bodies of pre-pubescent classmates. Their physically developed counterparts roamed the halls of the middle school, which might as well have been in a foreign country.

While all three kids had the common experience of the timing of puberty, each child had a different reaction to the physical and emotional changes. My son, the oldest, had the added strain of my divorce. He blossomed in ways that took everyone that knew him by surprise. The shy, introverted, awkward boy became the confident, outgoing, funny young man. Amazing. The second child, my oldest daughter, wore her new maturity like a badge of honor. Always bigger and stronger than the boys, the gap became even greater – and she did not let them forget it. I kept waiting for the call from the principal or a boy’s parent about bloody noses or split lips. Thank God, the call never came.

Then, three years later, my youngest child, an often sulky, sullen daughter entered the sorority of menarche. She lived a dual life. One day a week, she attended the gifted program at another school – a fertile field full of unique, curious, bright cronies where she felt honored and loved. The rest of her school week, she felt surrounded by people she had no common ground on which to stand. Lunch was a lonely affair, as was recess and group activities. Her teacher was at a loss for how to bridge her world with her classmates.

I’m an Angel person. All three of my children are Angel people. We ask Angels for help with everything. So, I asked the Angels for some advice about how to help my youngest child. The result of the guidance I received is what we came to call “The Splendiferous Routine” or “Splendiferocity.” On the drive to school, I led my daughter through a silly routine that went like this:

One person leads and the others reply for each line. We get very animated, using our whole bodies to gesture our joy and openness.

About three months into this routine, my daughter’s teachers sought me out to tell me that this was not the same child that entered their classrooms in September. She was having so much more fun in school. As if by magic, she became outgoing and began having conversations with the other girls at lunch and recess. The teachers were astonished at her transformation. When I told them about the “Splendiferous Routine,” the gifted program teachers invited her to teach it to her classmates who were thrilled to learn it. Because they all came from different schools in the city, Splendiferocity spread to new territory.

My older children noticed the change in their sister and wanted whatever she was taking. It has become our morning routine with the four us before we scatter for the day. We follow up our morning ritual at the dinner table by sharing our splendiferous events of the day. And before bed, we sprinkle each other with splendiferous dust for splendiferous dreams. Splendiferocity has soaked itself into the fabric of my family’s life. It is so much a part of our morning and our world that we have come to believe so fully in the magic of being open to the fabulous energy of the universe, we couldn’t go back if we tried. I thank the Angels everyday for giving my family a gift that has brought us so much closer. It is a great way to know what my children desire and fear by hearing what they ask the Angels for help with. We are all living splendiferous lives as a result of our time together setting our intentions and calling in the Angels.