Who’s Raising Who?

Am I handing her the cup or is she handing it to me? Am I raising a daughter or is she raising me? There’s days for teenage daughters that I’m sure it feels more like the latter.

“13 doesn’t really feel that old, but 14 does sound kinda old and 13 is only one year less so I guess that does kinda make it old”

Loïs Blijleven

A 13-year old processing ageing. 2 years ago I wrote about Bat Mitzvah as a Jewish tradition for girls when it was our oldest daughter’s 13th birthday. With our second daughter having her turn at becoming a teenager got me revisiting the concept of rites of passage all over again.

There is a point in life where as a dad we might start feeling like we’re giving less than we’re receiving in return. It’s pretty hard acknowledging they might need us less, while we start needing them more.

“It’s hard to acknowledge our own children might need us less and less, while we start needing them more and more.”

Happy birthday Loïs. Please keep handing me cups of tea until I’m grey and old. On the mountains and in the valleys. Your tea is the best.

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