"Listen up, baby girl.  Pretty girls have fun but smart girls have everything.  So be smart.  Ok?" These priceless words of wisdom were imparted to my 7-year-old by two "smart, sassy and a little smart @ss-y" twenty-something “nieces” whom I’ve watched grow since birth. Their mum, my cousin-in-law and 15 years my senior, was the older sister I never had -- my confidante and adviser.  I, in turn, aimed to be "the cool aunt" and confidante to them, chaperoning their birthday parties, kidnapping them for outings to the beach or movies, and when they grew older, hearing them out on topics that … [Read more...]