My daughter picked up her new glasses last night.  She wore them home from the store and marvelled at how much she could see.

I had been worried about her not liking them, but this morning she sais "y'know Ma, the more I look at myself in these, the more I like myself in them".

I feel the same way.  She's always been a pretty girl, but in the past year....she's blossomed, and when I see her wearing her new glasses I see the young woman she's becoming breaking through the little girl skin she's lived in for the past 13 years. 

She's beautiful, she really is.  I know I have mom goggles, but she truly is a good looking girl, and she's a truly nice person too.  She wants to be a veterinarian, she happily told me the other day that she wants to see the world and that as soon as she's 18 she's going to be out of the house and spreading her wings ....and I didn't tell her but it almost broke my heart because I'm not ready for that to happen and I don't know if I'll ever be ready for that to happen.  I don't want her to go. I want to keep her close...... I find myself feeling more and more protective of her; I see guys on the horizon and I don't like the way they look at her and I want to rip their eyes out of their heads for looking at her that way.  Is that normal?  Is it normal to want her to be worldly and prepared for the tilted playing field of life but at the same time want her to retain some of her innocence?  Is it normal to want her to dress nicely and make the most of her looks but want to smack around the first guy who turns his head to watch her walk past?  I hope so.  Because if it's not, I'm in need of some serious therapy and possibly medication.

She's beautiful.  She truly is.  I'm proud to be her mother.  No matter where she goes or what she does she'll always be my daughter, and I will always be proud of her. 

I have a feeling that young lady is going to make quite something out of the life she's been given.  What more could a parent ask for?