My darlin’ daughter im’d me a while ago and accused me as only she can do, ‘hey where is my bday tribute on your blog?’. Yikes! I’m a terrible mother. I called her several times today and sang happy birthday to her. I talked with her a number of times on Yahoo messenger. I talked to her extensively about what all she had done and is going to do for her birthday, but I hadn’t written to her on my blog. How could I neglect her so badly? She’s already pointed out to me that I write much more about Soldier Son than I do about her to begin with. Never mind that the name of this blog was derived from the Blue Star banners!

She knows I love her more than anything but apparently I started a new tradition when I wrote a happy birthday tribute to her last year and she looked for it on my blog today and it wasn’t there. That means I’m a terrible mother!

Maybe I didn’t because it reminds me that she’s catching up with me in age!!! I don’t know how that is happening, but it is. She left about a year ago to go out west and seek her fortune - and find her future. I told her at the time that she was at the age where she will be putting down roots and does she really want to put down roots in California (read that to be, do you really want to leave ME!). She left anyway, against our advice, and drove herself in her little car all the way across the country with no idea where she’d work or live. She’s never had a shortage of raw courage.

I told myself at the time that she’d get it out of her system and would be back home shortly. All was going according to *my* plan as she had trouble finding a job at first and was having to work several jobs just to get by. She was meeting a few people, but things hadn’t really clicked for her. I was sympathetic while keeping her room ready for her return. She called me when she had been there about six months and said that when her six month lease expired she thought she’d return home and look for a job here. Oh - okay - I could deal with that. BUT she said, she was going out that evening with a guy she had met at work. She’d call me the next day to work out the details. Ut - oh.

I had heard her talk of this guy from the time she had gone to work. She insisted they were just friends, but I heard more than friends in the tone of her voice. They hadn’t been out on a date, but they were good friends. Nothing else to it she had told me. And now, on the very eve of her deciding to trek back to the right side of the country she was going out on a date with this guy who was just a good friend and they weren’t dating. I felt my heart sink.

Sure enough. The next day she called and there was no talk of her coming home when her lease was up. The conversation was just her gushing about how much fun she’d had and how she really liked this guy - the one that was just her friend. I knew at that point I had lost my daughter to California. I’m still bummed about it. I miss her terribly. But I am glad she is happy with her life and is enjoying her youth.

I blame the guy! If only he had waited a little longer to ask her out. Well, you know I’m kidding. I really just want her to be happy and I would not want a child who didn’t want to venture out into their own life. But I do miss my little darlin’. She’s the best daughter in the world and I am very happy that we have a good relationship.

Happy Birthday sweetie - you are the best and I’m glad you are having a good time!

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