You missed her homecoming last night.
And the float reveal in the parade the night before. Two hard weeks worth of work.
You missed the advisors naming her an honorary student council rep.
You missed her holding her own when aggressively challenged by a fellow student.
You missed her being physically sexually grabbed in school.
And wearing baggy clothes for weeks.
You missed her first day of high school. And then her first day of sophomore year.
How fun they’ve been.
You missed her Spanish teacher convincing her she deserves Honors classes.
You miss all her teachers adoring her.
And motivating her. And supporting her.
You missed her middle school librarian asking for her help.
You missed her first camp. A week long.
You missed her birthday.
Her first boyfriend.
And her first breakup.
You missed her current boyfriend.
And the giddiness when he liked her back.
You missed the interviewing of the boyfriend.
The family dinners to remind him whose girl he’s dating.
You miss the protection she needs.
You missed her first kiss.
You missed her first parking lot driving lesson.
You miss her melt in your mouth chocolate chip cookies.
And her made with love lasagna.
You miss her good days, her bad days and her really really hard days.
You miss her school mornings.
And afternoons.
And Open Houses and early dismissals.
You missed the school fire last week when she was scared.
You miss her after school activities.
And the community attended HS football games.
You miss her cries. And her sadness.
You miss her little surprises for others.
You miss her pride when she blushes at something she’s done so well.
You miss her kindness and her compassion.
Her light and her joy.
You miss her unbreakable bond with her brother.
And his quiet protection of her.
You miss the inside jokes they have.
And the laughter that ensues.
You miss her school projects, picture days, and field trips.
You miss her pre-intern days at the elementary schools.
You miss her favorite teachers and the ones that watch over her now.
You miss her favorite shows, her favorite foods, her favorite music.
You miss her discoveries and finding out who she wants to be.
You miss her generosity taking care of her friends.
You missed one best friend move away and breaking ties with another one.
And the death of her friend’s father.
You miss her doubts and fears. Her questions and insecurities.
You miss her Faith.
You miss her funny puns and almost pee her pants belly laughs.
You miss her spirit days and her Halloweens.
You miss the campsite stories.
You missed the covering of the baby pink in her now favorite color painted room.
You miss the picking on of her brother’s friends and how they too look out for her.
You miss the bonfire talks and the car ride sunsets.
You miss the snapchat games and the instagram tagging.
You missed the counseling to help her.
The teacher and counselor conferences.
The patience of the schools, their admin, and their teachers when she needs them.
You miss the memories she’s creating.
You miss the village that has stepped up and surrounded her.
What you miss the most, however,
is the mark.
You miss the point.
You miss the chances. Too many to count.
You miss what you’ve done.
What you still do. What you should do.
You
miss
everything.
