With...Emily

I am not sure when it happened. There we were, Saturday night, gathered at the bottom of a gleaming staircase in one of Georgetown's statelier homes playing paparazzi with the families of the other kids in Emily's prom entourage when it struck me. My little girl - the one who called me 'Daddy,' who knew every word to every Aaron Carter song, who waited each morning to see if Laa Laa was going to light up, who dreamed of being a teacher and 'taught' her family for hours in her Pittsburgh bedroom, who loved to ice skate, who once played a munchkin in a Benedum Center production of the Wizard of Oz, who would laugh her self dizzy when pushed on her backyard swing, who loved Dr. 'Whistle' @ Emmanuel, who'd go to work with me and sneak off to hang out with Gary Knapp - that little girl is gone.

Oh - I am sure she's in there somewhere. But, on that landing, sunlight straining to keep up through some unidentified family's coat of arms in the the stain glassed window behind her, stood a gorgeous young woman I'd somehow never seen before.

There must have been a lot of dust or something in the air, because I teared up a bit.

I don't think I've ever run 'with' Emily. We've taken lots of walks - they are a great way to catch up on her life, to hear the latest about her friends and teachers and band and what she's reading and who she likes and what she thinks about this or that political issue or whatever else happens to be on her mind.

She has been with me on many of my runs, though - when I pray for my family or when I'm listening to a podcast, like 'To Climb a Tree,' on The Story - about 78 year old William Hubbard, and think, 'I can't wait to share this with Emily!' Or when I mull over a  a particularly frustrating experience she's told me about and I decide to be a typical male and give her advice about how to 'solve' her problem. As if I've ever been a girl or was particularly good at being 17 when I had my turn.

She's been with me for some of the biggest runs of my life, too. My first half marathon in Louisville in 2006 she held up the the sign she'd made for me that screamed 'Run! Dad! Run!' and included pictures she'd taken before and after one of my training runs.  She worked hard on a sign for my 1st full marathon in 2010 that her grandfather held up for her in her absence.

And, last year in Pittsburgh - that was the sweetest! Here's a pic of Em with her sign :)

Even better, here's a video of Ted and me passing our families at the corner of Forbes and Craig in Oakland. They've been waiting in the rain for us. You can see Kelly and Denise scurrying to encourage us and hand us stuff. And, you get to hear Emily and Jazzy singing their rendition of 'We Believe You Can Fly!' A version of this is my ringtone. No more angelic sounds have graced the human ear. I love it!!!

I guess I'm cool with Emily growing up.

I guess I don't have much choice other than to embrace it and enjoy it. No guy could ask for a better daughter. And, she'll always be my little girl.