My youngest daughter turns 16 today. I can't believe it! I thought about writing her a poem, but I stink at writing poems for people I love. I wrote one for Randy a few years ago and put it in his birthday card, and he never even mentioned it. And anything I would write for Maddie would probably embarrass her.
But I love this Linda Pastan poem, "To a Daughter Leaving Home." Maddie's not leaving home, but her joy and energy remind me of the daughter in Pastan's poem, and this poem also reminds me that she has been in the process of leaving home from the moment we brought her home from the hospital, even as I rocked her during the night, her little body feeling as fragile as a baby bird. Now she's growing up into a wonderful young adult, and it's time to start college visits. Ack!
Anyway, here's the poem:
To a Daughter Leaving Home
by Linda Pastan
When I taught you
at eight to ride
a bicycle, loping along
beside you
as you wobbled away
on two round wheels,
my own mouth rounding
in surprise when you pulled
ahead down the curved
path of the park,
Read the rest of the poem here.
Happy Birthday, Maddie! I love you!