I’m not sure exactly when it happened…
Maybe it was on the way home from my daughter’s ballet class last week after the teacher praised her advancement within the last few months, or maybe it was that one discussion we had at dinner about she being ready for a sleepover at one of her best friends’ house. Or maybe it happened when I was watching her in awe as she proudly performed in the school talent show last weekend in front of the entire school. Or maybe it was simply when I was backing up my entire iPhoto library scanning my daughter’s last 5 years - seeing every smile and funny face - that I finally realized that my little girl is no longer that little baby, or that attached toddler, or even that somewhat autonomous preschooler anymore.
She’s growing up way too fast and it’s downright depressing.
What made it more evident was seeing a documentary this past week called, “The Kids Grow Up” (more here) about a Dad documenting his daughters' life from the toddler years to just before college. In the film the Dad does a series of interviews with his daughter at various milestones usually at some very insightful moment. It felt strangely familiar and almost uncomfortable watching her life breeze by in a mere 90 minutes. It almost felt too close to reality and that was a bit disheartening.
Then my daughter runs up to me today out of breathe and says that she and her 5-month old baby brother were playing “hide and seek.” He was counting to 100 and was going to use his dragon to find her.
It’s those odd moments which make me look forward to what’s in store these coming years.
7 comments:
They really do Tony. My little neice i s turning 19 tomorrow
I sometimes wish they would stay little longer but then I also realize I do enjoy the stage they are currently in. It will be fascinating to see where they end up as people.
Shoot, if he can already cound to a hundred at 5 months, you should worry more about HIM growing up fast!! ;P
My oldest son is just 13, and a bit ago, we were standing almost face-to-face, and I watched as his eyes almost glowed with delight in being taller, almost as tall as an adult, and if someone could have seen my eyes, I think they would have noticed this veil of sadness that suddenly (suddenly!!) he's 13 already and almost as tall as an adult. I've been dwelling on things like this a lot lately, knowing the years I have with him here with me are approaching a finish line.
I watched the clip for that documentary twice. I think I need to wait for it to come out on DVD, because I cried both times I watched less than 3 minutes of footage. To sit in a theater and watch may slay me!
I do wish they would stop growing up so fast, then none of this would be a problem.
Great post, Anthony. I get teary eyed almost every time I look into those big, beautiful brown eyes of my daughter's, the same ones that looked so inquisitively at the world from the moment she was placed in my arms. The body's a bit bigger now, but I can still see that tiny infant every time I look at her eyes ... and then mine start filling with water.
There are times when I look at my 9-year-old and almost don't recognize her. It seems like she should still be chubby-cheeked and crawling.
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