My Teen Angel

Today is my eldest daughter's 16th birthday.

In the past three years, little V. has aged three years, whereas I have grown decrepit exponentially and am now 144 years old.

For the first couple of teenage years, when she told me I was to blame for everything, I believed her. Now I don't, and I feel much better. Someone told me this time is designed to enable parents to let go of their children when the time comes, because the kids are so darned obnoxious.

She was an adorable baby, a delightful toddler, a wonderful child. Now she's beautiful, intelligent, and tortured as hell. I'm sooo ready for the next phase.