Happy 16 to My First Born
I must take a break from our regularly scheduled fashion talk to wish my wonderful daughter a happy 16th birthday. Cameron Reese came into our lives with a bang 3 ½ weeks early and she has been going non-stop ever since.
Growing up, I did not have a good relationship with my mother. She and I were just so different and she had no acceptance for me as a person. For a long time, I didn’t want to have children because I figured all relationships would be strained like my mother’s and mine. That changed around 26 when the first ticks of the clock started beating in my soul (the biological clock is a real thing y’all). By the time, I got married and had Cameron I was 33 and bursting with joy at having a girl.
Lucky Mom
Of course, as you moms know, there is no way to anticipate just how much joy, love and torment a child will bring into your life. Cameron was a wonderful baby right from the start. She had boundless energy, an outgoing spirit and absolutely would not sit still. I had no idea, she being my first, that her activity level was way beyond the norm. She had me on my toes constantly. Walking at 11 months and speaking full sentences at one.
She wanted to know everything, see everything and do everything. In many ways, at 16 she is just the same, except peppered with a bit of teenage angst and moodiness. I am blessed to have a close relationship with my daughter and feel so lucky that she and I share so many things and ideas in common. She is my behind the scenes fashion consultant here at StyleDahlia, my reluctant photographer (sometimes) and my shopping buddy. We love to travel, luckily, as we travel extensively for her sport.
She has made me a better person. I have always taught her to have an open heart but she by nature has empathy and an understanding of others that I spent years trying to learn. She is beyond intelligent and her inquisitive nature keeps her learning and growing. I am so excited to watch her grow into the women she will be.
Song Sums it Up
She is also resilient. Even though she has seen her share of heartache she continues on always striving to be a better person. She is truly my hero and I am so blessed to be her mom. I heard this song on the radio once and it stopped me short and brought me to tears (actually the big, ugly cry. It was in the car and I had to regroup before heading in to my appt. It. Was. Not. Pretty.) This song perfectly describes my thoughts on being a mom to my fabulous daughter.
In My Daughter’s Eyes
By Martina McBride
In my daughter’s eyes
I am a hero
I am strong and wise
And I know no fear
But the truth is plain to see
She was sent to rescue me
I see who I want to be
In my daughter’s eyes
In my daughter’s eyes
Everyone is equal
Darkness turns to light
And the world is at peace
This miracle God gave to me
Gives me strength when I am weak
I find reason to believe
In my daughter’s eyes
And when she wraps her hand around my finger
How it puts a smile in my heart
Everything becomes a little clearer
I realize what life is all about
It’s hanging on when your heart is had enough
It’s giving more when you feel like giving up
I’ve seen the light
It’s in my daughter’s eyes
In my daughter’s eyes
I can see the future
A reflection of who I am and what will be
And though she’ll grow and someday leave
Maybe raise a family
When I’m gone I hope you’ll see
How happy she made me
For I’ll be there
In my daughter’s eyes
