My eldest daughter has been a teenager for two months. In that time, she’s performed a live concert with her garage band, gotten a major role in her theater’s next production, and won an academic award. Teenage suits her very well, it seems!
All of these things are “extra” things – things she’s gone out of her way to pursue herself. Nobody made her do any of this. She’s trying on new facets of her identity every day (she’s also in Girl Scouts and Track & Field, plus draws or paints for an hour or more each day) and that pattern has been delightful to watch.
She’s strong, courageous, sure of herself, clever, and charismatic. I’m incredibly proud of her. And the best part is that with each new thing, she excitedly rushes to share it with me. On top of everything else, she’s devoted to her family. I took her out to dinner tonight to celebrate all her wins, and she chose the restaurant her siblings like as the location.
Fatherhood is joy!
The Opportunity Machine 