Wednesday, September 30, 2009

Daddy's Girl

In the midst of moving out of my first home after 15 years, arranging treatment for my son, planning my wedding and quietly observing what would have been my 19th wedding anniversary with Samantha (yesterday), I am happy to be greeted by a smile and a hug from my daughter, who turns twelve today.

I'm reminded of the relatively quick, complication-free labor and delivery (just over 4 hours), and the tiny, frail baby girl we brought home. Home to the house we're now packing to leave. Our cat, Gryphon, dwarfed her (as he'd dwarfed Tyler before). And now she's almost a teenager, taller than her stepmom-to-be, talented, smart and beautiful. And testing for her second belt in Tae Kwon Do.

Although I cannot tell you how ecstatic I am that TFMD is here to girl-bond with Kayleigh, I think the bond my daughter and I forged in the crisis of losing Sam and my father (and the house disasters that followed) will have a powerful, lasting effect on our respective lives.

My little girl is twelve today. That makes me smile.

3 comments:

Robert L Pace said...

Nothing quite pulls at the corners of your mouth and your heart than the triumphs and challenges of your children. Even when the kids don't necessarily share your genetic profile.

~TigereyeSal~ said...

She is quite a girl, and you are quite a dad. The post brought me tears and a smile. Parenting in the face of widowing and remarriage is a very bittersweet journey, and you seem to be handling it with grace and class. (As are your women, all 3 of them...)

Michele T. said...

Happy 12th Birthday Kayleigh!

From one of the Sept 97 moms, I still think of you all and I am glad that life, while hectic, is going well these days.

Michele and Zoe T.