Fourteen

It’s K’s birthday tomorrow. We started off the celebration this past Saturday when family gathered to celebrated the eldest of our four gorgeous girls. Michelle and I are stunned the time has flown by the way it has.

When I think too much about it, I get angry. I don’t know if it’s angry at God, or just the way time and life moves so quickly. All I know is that we have known and lost several different little girls named K. The precious little baby is no more. The inquisitive and wonder-eyed two year old is gone. The constantly hugging and hand-holding five year old with big loving eyes and a question always on her tongue gave way to a proper little lady of eight. The ten year old smart-as-a-tack student and conversationalist turns into a young woman of fourteen tomorrow.

I long for each one of those people I have known and loved. And as K readies for high school in a few short weeks, we are preparing for a rapid succession of evolutions of her- as she explores new relationships, concepts, struggles, victories and defeats. Its all moving too fast, and Michelle and I are ill equipped for this next phase of life. But it is coming anyway.

We are praying for wisdom and insight as we learn the role of mom and dad to this new growing person. Good news for the other three- we will have a better grasp on all of this when they get to this age.

I love K and her sisters with every ounce of my heart and being. I am amazed that God has honored me with these gifts- these four souls- to care for and raise. And that he has given me Michelle- such a beautiful and wonderful partner in this journey.

I want the next twenty-four hours to feel like twenty-four years. Believe me, that long ago I was sixteen, and between then and now it seems like the blink of an eye.






Click here if you would like to subscribe to the DigitalRichDaily
E-mail update. Place 'subscribe' in the subject line.