In the blink of an eye, my daughter went from this:
and this:
and this:
to this:
and this:
and this:
Today my little girl is not so little anymore. It is her fourteenth birthday. She is going into high school next year. She spends more time with her friends - on the phone and in person - then her parents. It's such a bittersweet time. I adore the young lady she is growing into SO MUCH, but I sometimes really, really miss when she was little, taking a bath in the sink or eating bluebonnets during a photo shoot.
Over the years, though, K may have grown taller and smarter and more beautiful, but there are so many things that have remained the same.
She is genuine, and genuinely sweet. There is not a mean bone in this girl's body.
She loves animals. She has a bond with Dexter like I've never seen. She was so devoted to our cats Pumpkin and Shadow. She loves horses and birds and turtles and all of God's living creatures (except for monkeys.... they give her the creeps). She is sensitive and feels things very deeply. She cried for an hour after her goldfish from the fair died. She loves everyone and wants everyone to love her. She has excellent taste in friends and I'm so grateful that the girls she's chosen to travel the high school journey with are as smart, sweet and fun as she is.
For a long time I always joked that J should have been Uncle Darren's son. There were a lot of years where he was very much like his uncle. As he's matured, he has become more reserved and introverted. His sister, on the other hand, has taken on my brother's outgoing personality. She loves to be the center of attention, she loves to laugh, and she loves to be surrounded by her friends. Her social life puts mine to shame!
K is the definition of a well-rounded teenager. She plays bass clarinet and looks forward to marching band in the fall. She starred in a one act play (with a British accent) and earned a best actress award. She tangoed across the stage as the leg lamp in A Christmas Story. When she was 6 years old, she volunteered to play catcher on her softball team.... a position at that age nobody wants. During one tournament she played five games in a row in over 100 degree heat, and added a bee sting to the mix. When she reached the age of kid pitch, she decided she wanted to be a pitcher. For the last ten years, one of the greatest joys of my life has been watching her do her thing on the softball field. For the last two years she has played tennis for her school, and she will continue that in high school. Her creativity and work ethic in Destination Imagination is impressive. Sometimes she gets annoyed, sometimes she doesn't get to do what she wants to do, but she always come through for her team. Like at this year's tournament when she was feeling very sick all day, but she dug deep and gave incredible performances, earning her a "most valuable chicken" t-shirt from her team.
K's name means "brave". Whether it's going through with riding a zip line, with tears going down your face, even though you were so scared, or pushing through the pain and pitching an entire game with a hurt ankle or injured knee, you never cease to amaze me. A few months ago I sat outside the curtain at your school when you auditioned for the spring musical. I couldn't see you, but I could hear you. You chose to sing a song without music.... just you and your sweet voice. Never in my life did I have that kind of confidence. You live up to the meaning of your name every single day.
One of the best parts of you is how much you make us laugh. Your quirks, your jokes, your silly accents, your selfies, your blonde moments... life is never boring with you around! I love your sparkle. I love that you are right at home in cleats and batting gloves, but also in blinged up cowgirl boots and makeup. You're my concert buddy and my pedicure date. You are the only person I know who can sleep through a Dallas Cowboys game and not one but TWO Taylor Swift concerts. Since 2006 you have been dancing in the rain, taking goofy selfies, fearlessly riding roller coasters and joyfully living life OUT LOUD.
I never imagined how much having a daughter would mean to me, and I had no idea how much I long every day to always be your best friend.
I have been kicking cancer's ass for 2,449 days, and one of the main reasons I will never stop fighting is for you. I'm so grateful that I have been given these last 2,449 days with you, and I can not wait to see the beautiful person you keep growing up to be.
Happy 14th birthday K. I love you big.
