0115

[ch4ng1ng_r1v3r]

Eighteen and Six
Eighteen years isn't really a
long time to be alive but when
you're eighteen it seems like you've
been alive forever and always
will be and it's a great feeling but
it's also a pretty scary age because
people begin to think of you
differently and so they also treat
you like another person entirely.

I wonder if you realize what
you've been doing lately. I
know that I've grown older and
that I'm an "adult" now. I can
vote and get arrested and smoke
and do all sorts of bad and good
things now and even though I
could do those things before, now
I can do them legally. But you
know that some things never change
right? Parents are always parents,
no matter how old their children get.

So even thought I've grown taller and
I've "matured", I'm still that little
six year old who you used to play
with with remote control cars in the
park and who you used to beat playing
miniature golf and who used to
ride next to you in the go carts because
I wasn't old enough to drive my own.

I'll always be that little baby that you
had to do everything for and I'll always
be able to learn something from you.

Just because I've changed a little over
the years, I'm still your daughter and
I still love you. I know you still love
me but it seems like things have changed
and, to be honest, they really don't need to.

So don't be afraid to say "let's go
play a game together" or "why don't
we go play air hockey" and don't be
afraid to let me win every once in a
while - because we both know I'm
handicapped. And please, please, please
don't be afraid to randomly hug me or
say "I love you" because it still
means a lot to be and still counts for something.