I am a father. I’ve had decades of experience, and I anticipate decades more.
   Fatherhood is a role I honour and respect; a lifelong privilege I am blessed to be a part of.
   Throughout the years and decades, I have had the absolute pleasure of watching my daughter grow into the amazing woman she is. My greatest joy is noticing the changes as she evolves into the person she has become.
   Nothing is dearer.
   There comes a point where you realize she too has watched me grow.
   I am older. I am aging.
   It is only natural.
   As I age, so too does my daughter.
   I remember noticing changes in my father as he grew older, the evidence of time becoming more obvious with each visit.
   I suspect my daughter notices differences in me when we are face-to-face, but these changes are essentially superficial.
   Deep down I am still the same person.
   I am her father.
   In that, I’m sure we both realize the decades of love we share.

06/18/2023                                                                                                j.g.l.