My oldest daughter Mary turns 13 today. A teenager. How did this happen? I was going through pictures of her, and she just seemed so little for so long until one day she just grew up. Now she's this beautiful, charming, completely hilarious adult-like person.
Going through the pictures, you forget how small and fragile they start out. And she was such a sweet little girl, with big cheeks, and cute dimples, always and still so polite. I get comments from parents all the time telling me what a well mannered child she is. Child. No longer. Teenager. Sigh.
I feel good about the way she's been brought up. We've played with the kids, sat down at a dinner table and ate with our kids, been on field trips and volunteered at school for our kids, and tried to stay fit and healthy with our kids.
The time, it just seems to go so fast. In a flash they go from 1 to 13. Soon she'll be 16, then 21, then married with children of her own before I realize it. And that will make me...well...a little closer to death I suppose.
So, I'm just here to wish my wonderful, beautiful, hilarious kid a happy birthday. She is one of my
lights, even on dark days, and I know someday she will leave her mark here in this crazy world. And it doesn't matter how she does it, or how little or big that mark is, I'll be proud of her no matter what.
lights, even on dark days, and I know someday she will leave her mark here in this crazy world. And it doesn't matter how she does it, or how little or big that mark is, I'll be proud of her no matter what.
Don't blink for too long, she will be 18 before you know it.
ReplyDeleteThere will be a time soon when she'll need to break free. Whether it starts gradually or suddenly, you'll realize that she prefers spending time with her friends to spending time with you. There'll be demands for greater freedom, disagreements over virtually everything, from fashion to your taste in movies; and in my experience there is always some secrecy. It's likely to be really, really painful for you both, but you will get through it. Here's my best advice: she needs to make her own decisions (within reason!) and to live with the consequences of those decisions. She also still needs boundaries, and your job is to make them clear and then stick to them. Even so, she'll surprise you, sometimes in a good way and sometimes not. In the end, she'll come back to you as an adult and a friend for life.
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