Meeting Persephone

Today is my darling girl's 15th birthday. It's hard not to reflect on where she started and where she is now. And I suppose it is a mother's prerogative to do just that since, without us, our wee ones would not be here at all.

Giving birth was a treat. Came about in the normal way I suppose. Though there were just the right number of unique incidents to make it memorable. My husband broke a new bed the hospital was testing out which in turn made the stirrups inaccessible and this meant that my husband and 8 month pregnant sister-in-law/best friend had to hold my legs for me during labor. The doctor, thanks to my daughter's large head and my narrow hips (well they were narrow at the time), kept trying to pull her hair to help quicken the process - didn't help. But finally, after 14 hours of labor, she arrived. Large head, small body, green eyes, red face and cheesy. This was the day I'd been told at the age of 15 would never come. I was 20 and was embarking on the most challenging experience of my life.

I've homeschooled, disciplined, nurtured, and cried myself to sleep over these years - the latter more times than I can count. My father says that raising kids is easy. I believe that if it's easy, you're not doing it right - or at least not giving it your all.

I was never going to be the kind of mother who gave birth and then let them loose. Having had only one child probably made me more protective than some, but it also made me more determined to do it right because I only had one shot. I've succeeded in some ways, failed in others, but on the whole I've helped to bring up an outstanding person and have grown and learned so much myself on the way.

My daughter has taught me because I allowed myself to learn from her. I never wanted to be the ultimate authoritarian parent type. She inspires me because she is much that I never have managed to be. That would be thanks to her father's influence. She is strong, intelligent, funny, self-confident, a great friend, and a compassionate human being. She makes me proud constantly and infuriates me more than any other person has ever been able to. But she is proof that I could do something well and I needed to know that.

So while it's her birthday, and I think of all we've tried to do to help form her into who she's become, today I have to thank her for making me who I am today as well. Time is short I'm constantly reminded as I watch my daughter grow, both physically and mentally. She has passed me up, on both counts. I know that it's a short time before she's leaving us and spreading her wings - I can only hope that I've given her some tools to make it as painless as possible.

I love you, Runt. Your life has been and will continue to be a blessing.