It’s In Her Blood — Strong-Willed, Passionate, And Full Of Life

My daughter, let’s call her Lucy, is almost 18. She is so full of life and has dreams of a big future. This morning, I sat and thought about her beginning as I prepare for her big 1–8 birthday, and I can’t help but feel incredibly proud of her.

When I was 31 weeks pregnant, my ultrasound showed only one centimeter of measurable fluid. My OB induced my labor, as she worried about the possibility of an infection. As they started the medication to bring labor, I worried about having a preemie.

Would she need help breathing? Would she have to stay in the NICU long? Those are questions that plagued my mind as I waited for my bundle of joy.

Lucy entered the world at 4 pounds and 3 ounces. She was only 16 inches long. She was so tiny and beautiful. Remarkably, even though she was nine weeks early, she was healthy and only stayed in the hospital for four days. Grandma couldn’t wait to meet her. Before my daughter’s birth, I had three sons. My grandma wanted a girl to spoil, and my daughter fit the bill.

Grandma Spoiled Lucy Rotten

Grandma went out and bought her preemie clothes and diapers. She bought a swing and ordered four dozen cloth diapers (I used only cloth for my babies). She was so excited to have a girl to spoil after all these years.

Lucy didn’t always excel at school. She had problems with social anxiety. In kindergarten, they said she had selective mutism, which means she refused to speak in public but was vocal at home. It caused her to be delayed because her teachers didn’t know how much knowledge she retained.

In second grade, her teacher met with me about Lucy’s progress. I will never forget this meeting. She told me my daughter was “weak” and she needed more help than she could offer. Let me just say she regretted using the word weak to describe my girl.

“My daughter is not weak. She may not be ready to work independent but that doesn’t make her weak. And who do you think you are, to say she’s weak? Maybe you should quit teaching,” I ranted at the young teacher.

Lucy’s Honor Roll Moment

Somewhere between the eighth and ninth-grade year, Lucy came out of her shell. She started making better grades and loved school. She was a little behind still, but she made it work for her.

During her junior year, she made a complete turnaround. Her GPA was over 3.5. She started looking forward to college and her future. About the same time, I noticed she wasn’t a little girl anymore. My baby was becoming a woman.

Lucy doesn’t remember her great-grandmother. She passed away when she was only seven. She has a few memories, but only flashes of a memory. The weird thing about it is, even though she doesn’t remember Grandma, she is her mini me.

She has her personality and says some of the same things. It’s like when grandma died, she entered my little girl’s body and they merged into one amazing person — if that makes sense.

Lucy Never Lets Life Knock her Down

Even though Lucy has had a tough life, she never used it as an excuse to fail. She had educational struggles, but she studied harder. Her father isn’t interested in being a dad to her. It never bothered her. She loves her stepdad, and he’s become a dad to her.

Words cannot explain how proud I am of her. I firmly believe she can accomplish anything she puts her mind to. She is a positive thinker, a go-getter, and strong willed (that part we both inherited from grandma).

As I prepare for her to leave for college soon, I try not to be sad. She isn’t a baby anymore. It’s bittersweet. I prayed for several years for a daughter before I had her. I wanted a daughter so badly. I don’ care what anyone says — boys are wonderful, but having a daughter is magical.

Lucy comes from a long line of women who are strong, independent and fierce leaders. We don’t follow the crowd. We are free thinkers and we question ideals that make little sense. That is the blood that runs through her veins.

Lucy Is Full Of Life

It’s been such a pleasure watching her find her way to adulthood. She wants to open her own bakery after she graduates from culinary school. She doesn’t want to work for anyone, instead, wants to be her own boss.

Here’s to the good girls. The ones who are often quiet in school, but work very hard to excel in their classes. The ones who say quirky things, but are cute as can be. The ones who faced real challenges, only to learn how to persevere in any circumstance. This one is for the little girls, just like Lucy.

We see you and we are all so proud of you. You will do great things and make something great out of your life.

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Article originally published on Medium.