A Letter to a Teenager
Today my daughter is 13 years and 13 days old. As she approached thirteen, we discussed the significance of her becoming a teenager… and we both realized that we did not feel anything different. It felt like just another year.
When she was ten, I collected photographs from her first ten years. One of the photographs is below. This year I collected photographs from age 10 to 13 years and 13 days.
When I wrote three years ago in the ten years post, I said “there is nothing better than being a father.” That is still true.
For age 10 to 13, I collected a gallery of 131 photographs. We have visited some of the same places for the last several years. Emily and her brother have helped me create new memories too. Thirteen may not feel older, but it looks older.
I have been lucky to be a father to two wonderful children. My father was not around for me the way I wanted. We both lost. It’s been different for me and my kids.
I enjoy big moments with my daughter. I also enjoy spending Valentine’s Day going to the dentist like we did this year. (The picture above was taken last week.) I did not chose to post today, because Emily likes the #13 or because I am superstitious (although both might be true). I posted today, because of 1 Corinthians 13:13… faith, hope and love, but the greatest of these is love.