I do care about my daughter. Her heart. Her feelings.
I encourage her to be true to herself
And kind to others
I listen and I get excited about this new chapter
And I see her with new eyes
I realize I feel ready to let her go
To explore her heart
But I feel the tug to remain close
To watch over her
To catch her if she falls
Sometimes I need to look away
And not take it all personal
I have no control over her emotions
And I can only slightly limit her
Setting boundaries of protection
Warnings
But not too many
Let her be present
Let her make reasonable mistakes if needed
She is so mature
Wise beyond he years
But still a kid
She is 12
And sometimes she takes the counsel of her little sister
A reasonable and available sounding board
Although she know even less
she is available to giggle and encourage
I am not worried
I just catch myself wanting to tell her where to put the puzzle pieces
Me, the queen of giving independence
What is happening to me?
It is not my second change to do the course perfectly
It is my chance to pray and let her fly
With the clarity of an adult
Not join her in the pit of teenage hormones.