Saturday Musings – My Daughter's Turning 21

There’s nothing quite like your eldest daughter turning 21 to really focus your attention on the years that seem to have sped by. I’m so proud of the young lady that she’s become.

It seems like only yesterday that I held her in my arms for the very first time. Her wide open eyes soaking in the world around her…..and then she pooped in my lap. I really didn’t mind as the loving bound between us that was forged in those moments would stand the test of time.

In the early years, like every Dad, I was my daughter’s hero. I was like superman, able to lift large toy boxes down off shelves, build complex train tracks and give copious amounts of tickles. Holidays were times of laughter and playing games together.

In the teenage years Dad became a bit of a “he’s the old man”. The bound between us was tested but it was built of stronger stuff than steel. The transition from telling Sarah what she should do to advisor was a little traumatic at times as I watched her make mistakes, learn from them and then sometimes make them again. I wanted to reach out to catch her so many times but knew she needed to learn from her own experiences. It was tough being a Dad.

But now she’s 21 and I couldn’t be prouder of my daughter. Sure, she’s done some pretty amazing things such as getting qualified and working in her industry but it’s more than that. A lot more than that.

When I look at Sarah I see a young lady of character and as her father this is so much more important than her achievements. She’s patient, loving and kind. She loves telling me about her friend’s successes, while downplaying her own. She easily forgets the wrongs done to her by others in her desire to care for them.

She’s a lady that does her best to be truthful and protect those around her from harm. I’ve never seen anyone that perseveres like her and she always hopes for the best in every situation. More certain than all of these things I know that our love for each other will never fail.

So as we celebrate Sarah turning 21 today I have the privilege of looking at her through a father’s eyes, with all of our memories and knowing that we will make many more together in the years to come.

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Michael Gilmour has been in business for over 32 years and has both a BSC in Electronics and Computer Science and an MBA. He was the former vice-chairman of the Internet Industry Association in Australia and is in demand as a speaker at Internet conferences the world over. He has also recently published his first science fiction book, Battleframe.

Michael is passionate about working with online entrepreneurs to help them navigate their new ventures around the many pitfalls that all businesses face. Due to demands on his time, Michael may be contacted by clicking here for limited consulting assignments.