The Fifteenth Year Begins

I don't remember what the weather was like on her first day. After all, I spent it (and several of the ensuing days) in the hospital being grateful for modern medical care.

But, today, on the first day of her fifteenth year, the weather is dreary--rainy and chilly. It doesn't matter though, she has always been able to make her own sunshine.

My daughter is fifteen today.

Whew! I've been practicing saying that out loud. It can be hard to get the words out around the lump in my throat. See, in my mind, she still looks like this:

 helping chaperone as a baby

Or maybe like this:

Me, age 31; Her, age 3

But these days, she looks like this:

See, what I mean? She's amazing. Strong, smart, beautiful, funny, and talented. But she's also my baby, and she's growing up much too fast.