Well, here it is. The big one I guess. At least it’s supposed to be one of the big ones. Obviously your 18th birthday is big since you are officially considered an adult (at least in some ways). Your 21st is a big one since you can officially throw down a few. And to a teenage girl, sweet 16 is THE big one.
I did a little research to find out where the sweet 16 tradition came from and it is a little murky. It appears to be based on the fact most states allow 16 yr olds to start driving, and for some it is the age of consent. I’m going to COMPLETELY forget that second part and move on. I’m fully aware of the driver’s license aspect to it. I’ve been out driving with her on multiple occasions and continue to help her navigate the means streets of the DC area. Sweet 16 also appears to have roots in the Quinceanera which is a celebration of the 15th birthday and signifies moving from childhood to womanhood. This tradition traces back to the Aztecs. This article gives a little more detail about the Sweet 16, Quinceanera, and Bar/Bat Mitzvahs as various coming of age moments.
As a dad, I’m finding myself having to accept it. I really have no choice. I knew it was coming. It’s been creeping up on me for awhile. ‘Next year’, ‘6 months from now’, ‘next month’, ‘next week’, ‘holy sh*t TOMORROW’. Now it’s here. My oldest daughter has officially hit 16! While I’ve seen her transforming over the last year or so, with a little bit more make-up, a little bit more talk about boys, it’s still difficult to deal with. I saw her this morning dressed up for school and a level of pride and worry crept in at the same time. She’s a beautiful young lady, gets good grades at school, is active in sports and dance, has a great group of friends, and generally lights up the room when she enters (unless it’s the morning – not a morning person). I’m truly blessed. But, hitting the sweet 16 just hits me hard again with the realization she only has a couple more years in our house before she heads to college and off on her journey. I talked about this in my other post related to a video dads with daughters should NOT watch.
As far as her celebration and having an MTV style sweet 16 party….oh hell no. She won’t be having an extravagant ridiculous over the top party. Funny thing is, most of her friends have had small gatherings. So, I guess I have that in my corner. With that said, she will still be spoiled. Yes, I’m not perfect. She should be spoiled though. She deserves all the love that comes her way. I’m sure her friends at school will load her up with gifts as well. She was already receiving texts at 12:01 am wishing her a happy birthday. Yes she was getting texts that late, and yes I was checking.
So while today is Valentine’s day, it’s also my daughter’s birthday. It makes the day extra special and with it being her sweet 16 it also makes it a little bittersweet. Thank goodness my youngest is around. I can take solace in the fact I have a few more years for her countdown to sweet 16. At that point, I’ll probably be an emotional wreck.
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