The sun sets on another day…
A few minutes passed and this morning I jotted down ideas, those ideas became a quick note, then the note became the below:
I sit in awe.
It has been 21 years since my youngest was born. I have seen her grow through a series of difficult events, some caused by my decisions, some caused by her mothers, but mostly from an ever-changing difficult world. I tried, with all the time I had, to instill in her a vision that included taking charge, being confident, and being true to yourself.
At first, she was shy and did not understand how to be as social as she could be, but in recent years I have seen her grow beyond measure. She has become a leader, involved in many clubs and activities and constantly pushing to do the right thing. I have seen her saddened by people who were narrow-minded as she was looking at a bigger picture, and did not understand how they could not see beyond themselves. I have seen her succeed, and yes, I have seen her fail. I have seen her succeed in a job well beyond her years, and become an asset where others would have simply said it was not worth it.
In the end, after 21 years, she has become a wonderful young adult and I hope to see her challenge the world someday, and find her way to what she defines as her success. In the end, we look in the mirror for our successes and failures, and today she should know how very proud I am of her. Not because she always does things right, (she does not) Not because I agree with her all the time (I do not), but because she continues to push forward and try, even when others would walk away. Isn’t that all we can ask ourselves?
Happy Birthday Rachel. I hope it is an amazing day, oh, and don’t drink too much.
Few people realize how much children define us, and how we define them. We should pay attention to these passings each day, and be as supportive as we can.
So as the sun sets on another day, smile, laugh, be happy, and rejoice in the moments you find yourself seeing your children growing up as good people. There is no better feeling.
Sleep sweet, love life, and make the world a better place, because you can…