It is the start of a new year and with it I begin in the most joyous way that I could imagine, namely, celebrating the birth of my daughter. While all of her birthdays are special to me, this one marks a new period for her. A new beginning of sorts. Today my daughter embarks on her journey as a teenager. Thirteen. Treize. Trece. Tredici. Dreizehn. Wow! This will be such an amazing and important year for her, and I can't wait to go on this trip with her.As you might imagine, with every beginning, there is an end. As she begins as a teenager, she leaves behind her time as a young child. She leaves behind her moniker as "my little one" and that is as it should be. One thing that I am beginning to understand is that as my daughter grows up, I need to adapt and make changes in how I interact with her. While my love and support and attention towards her will remain constants, I need to be sure that I don't treat her like a toddler or a youngling. I need to give her space to grow, space to learn, space to succeed, and importantly, space to fail. I need to treat her in a manner that is representative of her maturity and her years. Lord knows I am trying my best, and I hope that she has patience because this is not always easy for me.
Today we are going to just enjoy our time together and embark on that journey together. My beautiful daughter, I am so proud of you and love you with all of my heart.
