Sweet Sixteen

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It still feels silly when I say it:

“My daughter just turned sixteen.”

I feel like I’m lying every time I say it. How can it be?? Just yesterday she was holding my hand when we crossed the street, asking me to tie her shoes, reaching up to implore me to pick her up and carry her. At least it feels like yesterday.

Because she is my only child, I feel compelled to savor every milestone like it’s the last bite of a favorite meal. Because it’s the only time I’ll celebrate these milestones with my child.

First steps.

First tooth.

First day of school.

Riding a bike.

And now, sweet sixteen.

Here’s my pride and joy, on her birthday:

Her birthday fell on a school day, so we reserved the “real” celebration for that weekend, when we loaded up the car with her best friends bound for NYC. But we did do one important thing that day: getting her physical so she could take her driver’s permit test later (gasp!). Here she is finding out that she gets vaccination boosters on her birthday. Sorry kiddo!

Anyway, that weekend we were NYC bound! Here she is trying and failing to contain her glee at one of the rest stops on the road trip.

Gab picked out a super-cool hotel complete with groovy décor (which obviously made for many instagram-worthy pics as you can see).

That weekend we shopped, we hit up the mini-cupcake bakeries, we logged thousands of steps around the streets of Manhattan, and took the obligatory Times Square selfie.

But most importantly, and I admit unexpectedly, I realized something amazing. As I laughed with her, shopped with her, eavesdropped on her conversations with her friends (again: sorry kiddo), I came to see who it was I was with. A baby no more, I was enjoying a birthday with a best friend. How rewarding, how beautiful, how gratifying after all these years to be having fun with a friend as much as I was having fun with my daughter.

Sweetheart you will always, always, be my baby. But I am so proud of the young woman you’ve become and are becoming. I know you will change lives, I know you will laugh and love and learn and explore, and share what you’ve experienced with others. And watching all of this unfold has been the best prize I’ve ever won or ever will receive.

And yes, she did get that learner’s permit. Here we go…onto the next phase. Buckle up, stay alert, be safe. And baby: Enjoy the ride.