Beach trip and me...

Laura went to the beach with her girlfriends Saturday. They left first thing in the morning and got home about 11:30 pm. She had a blast. She borrowed a couple of our folding chairs and our folding cabana (one of those pop-ups that is made for the beach. They had the obligatory coolers and just sat on the beach and "basked in the glow of utter civility." They had a late dinner at Dockside (she said the food was OK but the service was awful) and then came home.

She is 24 and this is no big deal. Right? For a Dad it is a big deal. I worry. It is what we do and I am very good at it. I wanted to call her soooo bad but never did. I figured she needs to do her thing and I'm dealing with it. It is not fun but I am dealing with it. I tell myself she will call me if she needs me and if she needs me and can't call then I could not get her anyway and there is likely nothing I can do. That last part is the part I struggle with.

Dad's are supposed to fix things. We make things better and solve life's problems. She's solving her own problems now and that hurts a little. Oh, she throws me the pity "problem" once in a while. Like she needs her hose holder moved to a new wall. That is so easy it is a nothing. But for some reason I can't get myself to go do it. I've thought about it and I think the problem is I know it'll be a simple thing and that means she's really growing up.

I've done all I can to prepare her for growing up and she is doing awesome. She is a confident, happy young woman and is very happy on her own. I just miss the little girl that came to me with all sorts of problems and said "fick it daddy" and expected me to fix everything. I'm proud she does not need that any more. What is surprising is that I still need that!

OK, time to go move the hose holder. If I can bring myself to do it.