The Daughter

Since my last post was about The Daughter starting her first last day of high school, I thought I would keep the theme going.

You know, before Cora and I even started dating, I knew that there was a little girl who would also be involved in this relationship.  That didn't really bother me.  I had dated women with children before.  One's child I never met.  One's child I met when she was about a week old.  (The mother and I wouldn't date for another 4 years, relax.)  So, I would just see how this went.

I think on her first visit out here, when The Daughter didn't like the fancy (spiced) mac & cheese from the restaurant and I solved the problem by taking her to McDonald's for nuggets and a cookie vs. going home and getting her a cold bagel with cheese was the moment that she knew I was looking out for her.  (Since then, she has had a good number of bagel and cheese sandwiches at my place.  As well as more Ritz & cheese than should probably be mentioned.)

And now, I really only have two things left to do with my life.

1. Make Cora as happy as I can, every single day.  I married WAY out of my league, and I know it.  Now I just want to let her know by gestures both grande and subtle that I love her with all me heart.
2. Make sure that The Daughter is set up to be successful in life.

It's really that simple.  And doing #2 (Heh!  I just wrote "#2"!) solves #1 a lot.

See that countdown over there –> (if reading in a real web browser)?  The one that says about 60 days?  When I put that up there, it read about 1000, and is the countdown to her 18th birthday.  She about to become LEGALLY an adult.  She has the maturity already.  But she also has some of the innocence of child, and sees the world sometimes as it should be, and not how it really is.

I hope that she can keep hold of that, and not let the world make her cynical and jaded.  That would be a tragic loss.  But I'm sitting here, right next to her mom, and I know we will fight very hard to keep that from happening.  You can't shield your kids from having bad things happen to them, that's simply a part of life.  We all know that.  But The Daughter knows that we have her back, and are with her through whatever life is going to hand her: good & bad.

So, to end this somber story on a happier note:  I'm writing this on Labor Day.  The last day before school starts.  Maybe I will take my girls out for ice cream tonight.  One last fling.  One last smile of summer.

And my job will be complete.

For today.