My eldest daughter is entering her teenage years. She’s self-admittedly stubborn. She marches to her own beat, and she doesn’t take crap from me or anyone else. She has a biting, sardonic sense of humor. She thinks Twilight is stupid. I’m so proud of her.
These days, I embarrass her. I’m clueless about her tastes, what’s cool, what’s fashionable in her circles, and, pretty much, everything else. I can’t force her to do anything.
And I’m so proud of her. Even when I want to pull out my hair.
Because, one day, these qualities will help her grow into a strong, self-assured, independent young woman, who is confident in whatever path she chooses for herself. And that’s exactly what I want for her.
Recently, I asked if she wanted to get her boating license. We’d had a blast on the water the prior summer, and the idea that, under Connecticut law, she’d be permitted to captain a 50’ yacht before she could drive a car appealed to her ironic sense of humor. Or, maybe, just maybe, she loves the water, just like her mom.
So she got up early on a Saturday morning to take the day-long class and exam, which she passed (phew!). Afterward, I asked how it went.
She smirked, “Now I know how to trailer a boat. I can’t drive. And we don’t own a trailer . . . or a boat. But I can trailer one.”
I laughed—that’s my girl—and explained how I’ve never used the “rule against perpetuities” as a lawyer, but had to learn it nevertheless for the bar exam.
Next, it was time for boater’s ed. Captain Jeff, a grandfatherly, incredibly patient Coast Guard retiree, was tasked with teaching someone who had never even driven a car to drive and dock a boat. As he quizzed her, I was relieved to learn that she’d taken the class seriously and retained useful information from it.
We practiced docking. I did my best to keep my mouth shut and my face impassive, and she did great as her confidence grew. Then, it was time to push the throttle forward for the first time.
I watched the wake spread out behind us, and, as she felt the sheer power of the engine propel us forward, a huge grin spread across her face . . . just like her mom.