Taking flight.

For the first time in her young life, my daughter will get on a plane unaccompanied today. Needless to say, she is excited beyond measure. She's so excited that she has had her backs packed for days now. I knew this was coming. Over the past year, she has begun to show me in many ways that she is ready to take on life more independently.  She takes care of the business of school with no gripes, she takes on responsibilities at home that I used to have to ask her to do. I won’t go as far as to say she empties the dish washer without being told, but at that age, I don’t think I did either. The fact here is that she has spread her wings and not only has has learned to fly, but she is learning to do it with skill. In the past weeks for some reason, her future occupation has been at the forefront of her mind. She teeters on the thought of being a health teacher and a pediatrician. She has become more realistic in the idea that becoming a rock star, while lucrative may seem less viable. I won't put to rest the possibility of a punk rocker stage because the last time we went down to So Ho, I'll admit that she looked  a little too comfortable in the city dwelling. While still years away, I can begin to envision the future adult that she may be.  For once, I’ll sit back and wait for her to return from her trip in Florida. I won’t be able to capture the pictures of her having a fun adventure. But in reality, this will be something that I’ll have to get used to. My camera won’t capture everything and she’ll have to make her own memories....make her own future. While wishing Godspeed on this type of trip may be overdoing it, I’ll do it anyway :)