This is my daughter, SheilBea. The older she gets the more amazed I am by her. I have a hard time, sometimes, seeing her as anything other than "daddy's little girl." And while I hope she will always be that ... I know she is so much more. She is a beautiful person where it truly counts the most: in her heart.
This girl has such a good solid head on her shoulders, far moreso than I did at her age. She is focused and disciplined in her approach to whatever she pursues -- from cheerleading to photography to community involvement. I wish I could say she gets those qualities from me, since they were the bedrock of the Martial Arts I once taught ... but truth is she is definitely her own person, and is far less limited than I was at her age.
She wants to be a professional photographer with her own studio in New York City. Knowing her abilities as I do, I have no doubt that is exactly what she will be.
Truth is, she isn't my little girl anymore; she is a woman who I admire greatly.
Group homes don't allow time off for holidays; so, knowing I was scheduled to work 3PM-11PM on both Christmas Eve and 16 hours on Christmas Day, I was thoroughly prepared to endure a completely shitty holiday.
As it turned out, however, SheilBea had planned a little surprise for me that afternoon. She brought me a gourmet lunch from Seasons restaurant, and my Christmas gifts -- a box of salt water taffy; a Spider-Man puffy magnet; a Spider-Man blanket that she made herself; assorted homemade baked goods, cookies, brownies, and Chinese Chews (one of my favorites); and an "Emotions of Chuck Norris" t-shirt. But, most touching of all, she brought me a small Christmas tree and all the decorations, including lights, ornaments, ribbons & candy canes. I don't usually decorate, but she said she "wanted to decorate a tree with Daddy."
Can I honestly tell you how much I was moved by that simple, singular gesture?
So that's exactly how we spent the afternoon: eating a wonderful lunch, decorating the tree, laughing, and opening a few gifts. All of those things, however, paled in comparison to the time I got to spend with the most amazing young woman I know: my daughter.
SheilBea, words will never do justice to the love I feel for you. Thank you so much for being who you are, and for being the best daughter I could ever hope for.
Since we both know how many inconsistencies life has in store for us, it is the single comfort in life to know that the love we have for our children is always there. This is my favorite post of yours.
ReplyDeleteThis is what its all about 100 years from now.
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