11:25 p.m. - Sunday, Feb. 8, 2004
A letter to my not so little daughter.
Since I have done all this writing this evening and I am beat I am going to just leave you with this. My little Kay is a sophomore in high school this year, and our school takes this class on a celebration weekend. I am not sure what goes on during this 3 days but I hear it is really cool. I guess they have a curriculum since we, her parents were to write her a letter as a part of this whole thing. So for an entry this evening I am going to post the letter my daughter will receive as a surprise while on her �celebration� **we used to call them retreats.**
My Dearest Kayla,
I hope you are enjoying this retreat, and will look back fondly on this experience. When they asked me to write this letter, I thought of a thousand things to say but couldn�t put them all in to words; however here is my attempt.
You are growing and maturing so fast that it seems that I have must have missed some time with you, because I can�t believe you are already this close to being sweet 16. It seems that only yesterday I was worried about you toddling into something and hurting yourself. It seems that I have been trying to protect you all my life. I still worry sometimes, but I think that�s just what moms do best. I know you are maturing and can take care of yourself to a certain extent.
I have watched you grow and change these past almost 16 years each new stage held wonders of its own. Watching you discover and learn about the world around you was perhaps the most wonderful thing to witness in my life. You were quick to catch on to things and to make up your mind to like or dislike something. That my dear I think you got from me.
Every stage also held challenges for me to keep up with you. Funny thing is, I�m still trying to do that. You have grown into such a wonderful, insightful, funny, young person that I wonder at how you could possibly be my daughter. You have good common sense, and self image which will take you farther than you will ever know. These coupled with your intelligence and ability to apply what you have learned will also help you be a very successful person.
As much as you�re growing up pains me to think I will one day not have you with me; it�s also just as thrilling to see you happy in this phase of your life. I hope I can find the ability in me to give you the guidance, the support, and the love that you need to meet this world head on and make it your own when the time comes.
A good friend once told me that a parent�s job is to teach the child how to live independent of them. I hope I am succeeding in that task for my hope for you is that you are strong enough to make the very best choices that will bring you love and happiness down the road.
I am so happy to have 2 more years with you and hope that these two years bring us closer and stronger. I still have a hard time thinking of you as a sophomore; to me you will always be my baby girl. I love you so very much I don�t think that words can convey the depth of love I have for you. Always know that there is nothing that could change that in anyway and I will always be here for you if you are ever in need, of anything or are in any sort of trouble. I might get angry but you know that I will help you in any way I can, and will always love you.
I hope you are indeed having fun at this retreat. I am so very proud of you for whom you are, and what you have become.
OHH and your Dad is not a man of many words but I know that he worries just as much as I do and that worry is born out of the same depth of love that I feel for you. He isn�t big on showing he cares much but I know he loves you very much and thinks that you are the best thing since sliced bread. He is proud of you; I know this because he actually told me. He asked me to do the writing for him since he says �you are so much better at this than I am.� I think that he is just too sensitive and doesn�t want anyone to know it.
I hope this wasn�t too mushy but well you know me. Now you go and have fun with your friends and I be here waiting for you to come back and share it all. **since I never got to go on one of these.**
We love you so very much!
Mom and Dad. **I signed the real one.**
