Today my oldest daughter is one year older; one year closer to driving; one year closer to high school; one year closer to graduation; one year closer to college; one year closer to moving out; one year closer to the love of her life; one year closer to a walk down an aisle; one year closer to the struggles life offers when you’re on your own; one year closer to fulfilling her destiny; one year closer to wondering if she’ll ever know what her destiny is; one year closer to the day when, no matter how hard I try, I just can’t protect her; one year further away from that little infant smile I just saw hanging on the wall; one year further away from her first step; one year further away from the perfect fit in my arms. Those moments are now pictures in a book–memories on my heart.
Time marches on. Each second is the exact same length, but I can’t understand how they feel increasingly shorter. And as she ages, gaining more responsibility for each second, I find myself bursting with joy. She’s handling that responsibility with great maturity.
Happy Birthday, Sweetie. I’m proud of you!
Dear Lord, help me be a good dad. Amen.
Can I cry now????