Anyone who knows me even a little knows that my niece and nephew are my heart. I love them almost as much as I would if I’d actually given birth to them.
Luke is 21 and that is really hard for me to comprehend. I feel like it was just a couple years ago I held him at his baptism worried I was going to drop him.
But what is be even harder for me is that Ava is 14 and is very much in her “adults are boring” era. And since I’m an adult I am included in this group. This breaks my heart.
I’ve treasured the shopping trips and hugs and all the things Ava and I have shared. We’ve discussed everything from Taylor Swift to skincare routines to the best Christmas cookie. And now? I’m lucky if I can get a complete sentence from her.
I’m not putting down Ava. I get it. She’s 14. This is normal.
I’m still insanely proud of her. As a freshman she’s a varsity cheerleader and in select choir. She is one of 4 members of the color guard team who does rifles as well as flags and has a solo moment at the end of the matching band field show.
I still love Ava to death. I just miss being someone she is actually happy to see. I’m told she will come out the other side of this stage and we can be close again. I just have to be patient. Patience is not a strength of mine, but what choice do I have?
In the meantime I will still brag endlessly about her to anyone who will listen. I’ll cheer for her from the sidelines. And I’ll be here when she is ready to hang out again.