MR

My daughter, Brooke, turned 21 today. Unbelievable how time has flown by.

She's a doll bro. You should be proud!

What a pretty Lady Rick, it goes by fast doesnt it?

Thanks, for the nice words. It's definitely bitter sweet. She was always such a good kid, and she has turned into an incredible adult. Just don't ride with her in the car when she's driving. Holy shit.

She looks nothing like Richard Pryor though, what happened?

Rick wrote:Thanks, for the nice words. It's definitely bitter sweet. She was always such a good kid, and she has turned into an incredible adult. Just don't ride with her in the car when she's driving. Holy shit.

Are we related? When I first started driving, I once drove into a Wendy's parking lot at 40 miles an hour.

I'm seeing Ann Margaret. Maybe it's the hat or the smile...but for some reason she reminds me of the woman who use to be in the Elvis movies! I think that was Ann Margaret!

Marabelle wrote:I'm seeing Ann Margaret.

Good call.

scarygirl wrote:

Rick wrote:Thanks, for the nice words. It's definitely bitter sweet. She was always such a good kid, and she has turned into an incredible adult. Just don't ride with her in the car when she's driving. Holy shit.

Are we related? When I first started driving, I once drove into a Wendy's parking lot at 40 miles an hour.

McDonald's for me. I had my temps and my old man was riding shotty with me. I thought the entrance was a little further down the road than it actually was. I realize this at the last possible second, and not being an experienced driver and realizing turning around would be a much better idea than trying to make it, I reflexively stomp the brakes and turn tires squealing, nearly two-tires-in-the-air into the McD's parking lot.

It all happened too fast for my dad to panic. I reluctantly looked over at him, my own heart pounding, and he calmly goes... "Yeah, don't ever do that again."

I feel your pride/pain Rick. My oldest turned 21 in July and she moved into her own place just a few months before that. I was really having a hard time accepting the whole idea of my little girl not only being at that point in her life but also believing she was ready. "There's still so much I need to teach her though!" is all I could think about. And ya know what, apparently, she was listening and paying attention her whole life and taking it all in 'cause she's doing great and I've witnesses first-hand her decision-making process and employing some of the life lessons her mom and I taught her.

Still hard to let go though.

But, believe it or not, Jeremy's song he wrote for his boys actually ended up being the key thing that helped me loosen the reins and accept the inevitable. In that song, "This is Your Life", the chorus has a line which reads, "Instead of letting go, I learned to let you grow." That line hit me like a ton of bricks and lifted the weight of all that worry and stress off of me like magic. So simple yet so profound.

For those who haven't heard the song and/or seen his video, you must check it out! It's bee-you-tiful!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=16YoLeDbalw

Your daughter is gawgeous my brother! You and the misses did something very right there!

JRNYMAN wrote:I feel your pride/pain Rick. My oldest turned 21 in July and she moved into her own place just a few months before that. I was really having a hard time accepting the whole idea of my little girl not only being at that point in her life but also believing she was ready. "There's still so much I need to teach her though!" is all I could think about. And ya know what, apparently, she was listening and paying attention her whole life and taking it all in 'cause she's doing great and I've witnesses first-hand her decision-making process and employing some of the life lessons her mom and I taught her.

Still hard to let go though.

But, believe it or not, Jeremy's song he wrote for his boys actually ended up being the key thing that helped me loosen the reins and accept the inevitable. In that song, "This is Your Life", the chorus has a line which reads, "Instead of letting go, I learned to let you grow." That line hit me like a ton of bricks and lifted the weight of all that worry and stress off of me like magic. So simple yet so profound.

For those who haven't heard the song and/or seen his video, you must check it out! It's bee-you-tiful!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=16YoLeDbalw

Your daughter is gawgeous my brother! You and the misses did something very right there!

I posted Jeremey's song to her Facebook page not long ago. She loved it. She lives in Virginia, so I miss her all the time, but she has grown up to be a very strong, if a bit opinionated, slightly hard headed woman.

Thanks for the nice words.

Rick wrote:

JRNYMAN wrote:I feel your pride/pain Rick. My oldest turned 21 in July and she moved into her own place just a few months before that. I was really having a hard time accepting the whole idea of my little girl not only being at that point in her life but also believing she was ready. "There's still so much I need to teach her though!" is all I could think about. And ya know what, apparently, she was listening and paying attention her whole life and taking it all in 'cause she's doing great and I've witnesses first-hand her decision-making process and employing some of the life lessons her mom and I taught her.

Still hard to let go though.

But, believe it or not, Jeremy's song he wrote for his boys actually ended up being the key thing that helped me loosen the reins and accept the inevitable. In that song, "This is Your Life", the chorus has a line which reads, "Instead of letting go, I learned to let you grow." That line hit me like a ton of bricks and lifted the weight of all that worry and stress off of me like magic. So simple yet so profound.

For those who haven't heard the song and/or seen his video, you must check it out! It's bee-you-tiful!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=16YoLeDbalw

Your daughter is gawgeous my brother! You and the misses did something very right there!

I posted Jeremey's song to her Facebook page not long ago. She loved it. She lives in Virginia, so I miss her all the time, but she has grown up to be a very strong, if a bit opinionated, slightly hard headed woman.
Thanks for the nice words.

I wouldn't be standing under any apple trees if I were you......

scarygirl wrote:

Rick wrote:

JRNYMAN wrote:I feel your pride/pain Rick. My oldest turned 21 in July and she moved into her own place just a few months before that. I was really having a hard time accepting the whole idea of my little girl not only being at that point in her life but also believing she was ready. "There's still so much I need to teach her though!" is all I could think about. And ya know what, apparently, she was listening and paying attention her whole life and taking it all in 'cause she's doing great and I've witnesses first-hand her decision-making process and employing some of the life lessons her mom and I taught her.

Still hard to let go though.

But, believe it or not, Jeremy's song he wrote for his boys actually ended up being the key thing that helped me loosen the reins and accept the inevitable. In that song, "This is Your Life", the chorus has a line which reads, "Instead of letting go, I learned to let you grow." That line hit me like a ton of bricks and lifted the weight of all that worry and stress off of me like magic. So simple yet so profound.

For those who haven't heard the song and/or seen his video, you must check it out! It's bee-you-tiful!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=16YoLeDbalw

Your daughter is gawgeous my brother! You and the misses did something very right there!

I posted Jeremey's song to her Facebook page not long ago. She loved it. She lives in Virginia, so I miss her all the time, but she has grown up to be a very strong, if a bit opinionated, slightly hard headed woman.
Thanks for the nice words.

I wouldn't be standing under any apple trees if I were you......

:lol: Ditto to what SG said.

Sounds like our daughters had the same teacher for a few classes along the line!
Opinionated. Check.
Very strong. Check.
Slightly hard headed - Check. (My daughter excelled in this particular class! )
And man, can she argue! I swear to God, she can do point/counter-point on any given subject no matter which side she takes. Even when she was a little girl my wife or I would tell her to do something and she'd immediately come back with, "Dad...? How 'bout if I do that but...."
A couple more traits that make me love her even more:
Uber environmentally correct. Don't even get em started...
Literally full-on cries whenever ASPCA or Humane Society commercial comes on TV. (The one that shows the abused/neglected pets...)

She's so into her causes that she's majoring in Sustainable Environmental Engineering. She'll consult with companies to show them how to go green and reduce their carbon footprint. I'd roll my eyes but the fact is she's gonna make bank!!!

JRNYMAN wrote:Literally full-on cries whenever ASPCA or Humane Society commercial comes on TV. (The one that shows the abused/neglected pets...)

Those commercials are so manipulative, it's pitiful. If only some would have as much compassion for living, breathing, human life.

Rick wrote:...but she has grown up to be a very strong, if a bit opinionated, slightly hard headed woman.

Doesn't that describe MOST women?

You will probably enjoy this song by U2. Bono wrote it about his little girl.

Live performance -

Original of The Species - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UbUF6j0e ... re=related

scarygirl wrote:

Rick wrote:

JRNYMAN wrote:I feel your pride/pain Rick. My oldest turned 21 in July and she moved into her own place just a few months before that. I was really having a hard time accepting the whole idea of my little girl not only being at that point in her life but also believing she was ready. "There's still so much I need to teach her though!" is all I could think about. And ya know what, apparently, she was listening and paying attention her whole life and taking it all in 'cause she's doing great and I've witnesses first-hand her decision-making process and employing some of the life lessons her mom and I taught her.

Still hard to let go though.

But, believe it or not, Jeremy's song he wrote for his boys actually ended up being the key thing that helped me loosen the reins and accept the inevitable. In that song, "This is Your Life", the chorus has a line which reads, "Instead of letting go, I learned to let you grow." That line hit me like a ton of bricks and lifted the weight of all that worry and stress off of me like magic. So simple yet so profound.

For those who haven't heard the song and/or seen his video, you must check it out! It's bee-you-tiful!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=16YoLeDbalw

Your daughter is gawgeous my brother! You and the misses did something very right there!

I posted Jeremey's song to her Facebook page not long ago. She loved it. She lives in Virginia, so I miss her all the time, but she has grown up to be a very strong, if a bit opinionated, slightly hard headed woman.
Thanks for the nice words.

I wouldn't be standing under any apple trees if I were you......

I'm hard headed enough to handle apples. She certainly comes by that honestly.

conversationpc wrote:

Rick wrote:...but she has grown up to be a very strong, if a bit opinionated, slightly hard headed woman.

Doesn't that describe MOST women?

Certainly the ones in my life.

Jana wrote:You will probably enjoy this song by U2. Bono wrote it about his little girl.

Live performance -

Original of The Species - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UbUF6j0e ... re=related

Very cool! Thanks, Jana.

Rick, my friend. My daughter is only 6 years old and it is moving way too fast. She has a crush on some kid across the street and I am ready to purchase a gun.

Rick wrote:

Jana wrote:You will probably enjoy this song by U2. Bono wrote it about his little girl.

Live performance -

Original of The Species - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UbUF6j0e ... re=related

Very cool! Thanks, Jana.

Agree with Rick - that's so cool! I'd never heard that song before. Thanks!

AR wrote:Rick, my friend. My daughter is only 6 years old and it is moving way too fast. She has a crush on some kid across the street and I am ready to purchase a gun.

Stand down for now, Ed, it only gets worse, sad to say.