Seventeen
17
My little girl has grown up. Yesterday she turned 17. She’s tall, willowy, quiet and sensible, seems to know where she’s heading and is a joy to be around. We seem to have slipped by the terrible teenage years with ease. Maybe there is worse to come, but somehow I don’t think so.
17 years.
I mean, 17 years!
Such a long time, but it seems to have passed by in the twinkling of an eye. It’s only moments ago since I took her to her first day at kindergarten and now in less than a year she will be an adult and in under two years she’ll be finished school and will be making her way in the world.
I can’t believe how quickly the years have run by. Seventeen years of being at home and caring and watching three children grow. Seventeen years of ups and downs, routines and emergencies. Seventeen years of trying to create a secure, calm loving home. Seventeen years of giving children the best start in life I can. Seventeen years since I left corporate life to embark upon a whole new adventure – one that has given me more fulfilment, more heartaches, more sleepless nights than everything that came before.
I wouldn’t swap those years for the world.
Thank you to my daughter (and her sister and brother) for enriching my life more than you can imagine. Thank you for helping make me the person I have become. A better person I hope, a happier one, for sure.
I love being your mum!
Helen
October 14th, 2011 at 10:42 am
Helen, what wonderful thoughts! Happy Birthday to your daughter. My daughter will turn 17 in November and I will try to remember all these wonderful things you have written as I yell at her to get ready for school and not miss the bus!
October 14th, 2011 at 11:06 am
Happy Birthday to the Birthday Girl! I know exactly what you mean about time flying! My “girl” has just turned 27 and I can’t believe it either.
October 14th, 2011 at 12:23 pm
Congratulations on her 17th birthday!! It’s a wonderful thing to have the honour of bringing up a daughter and watching her into womanhood, we know our daughters so well and yet they are their own person and will develop as such, it’s amazing!
With our three now (nearly)16-27, I have to say it’s been a privilege and I appreciate the chance I was given with all my heart and no regrets – it’s all in the future, now… š
October 14th, 2011 at 12:46 pm
Happy Birthday!
October 14th, 2011 at 12:51 pm
Happy Anniversary of becoming a Mother Helen!! Personally I don’t think there is a better, though challenging job on earth. I’ve been a Mom for over 25 years now and am now getting to enjoy the rewards of grand babies…..now that is sweet!
October 14th, 2011 at 2:02 pm
A belated wish to the Birthday Girl – she sounds like a lovely daughter.
October 14th, 2011 at 3:54 pm
What a lovely post. Daughters are pretty amazing aren’t they – and so are sons. Caiti was 17 in April. It’s a nice age – as you say, past the worst of the teenage strops (but not completely!!) but still happy to be around mum and dad. For a bit longer …
October 14th, 2011 at 4:31 pm
This is a beautiful post. Thank you for sharing it with all of us.
October 15th, 2011 at 9:53 pm
That made me all tearful for what is past and all the wonderful stuff still to come. A very happy 17th to your daughter.
October 16th, 2011 at 9:36 am
A belated happy birthday to your daughter.