Daddy's Little Girl

Tonight marks the another of those life moments that must come, but I am just not sure how I feel about it.  I always knew it would arrive.  I have joked about how I would handle it and the day is finally here.  My daughter just left for the Prom.

Alex & Kirsten sitting too close together even back then

Kirsten is a freshman, so she is not old enough to have her own prom, but she is dating a junior.  I like her boyfriend.  He's a good kid.  When we moved to Lincoln in 1998 so I could go back to school, I quickly became friends with Jayson Ferguson.  His wife and mine got along and our kids all seemed to like each other so we hung out together A LOT.  We spent a little over 3 years together in college before moving away, but have always kept in touch.  Now, a little over 10 years later, Kirsten and I are living in the same town as the Ferguson's once again.  Alex and Kirsten hit it off immediately and have been inseparable ever since.  I don't know how they will survive when we move back to Mt. Vernon at the end of this month.

Good kid or not, he is dating my daughter.  There are two problems with this.  First, my daughter is old enough to be dating.  Second, she IS dating.  No teenage boy truly understands what is going through a father's mind every time he walks out the door with our little girl.  He will understand one day, but for now I think I have done a pretty good job of making sure that Alex is scared of me.  We get along.  I like him and I believe that he likes me, but he knows that I could kill him without much thought or remorse.

Right after I graduated high school, I was headed to a girl's house to take her out for the first time.  When I arrived at her house, her mother invited me in to wait while my date finished getting ready.  Her father was sitting at the kitchen table glaring at me and cleaning one of the several guns he had spread about the room.  While her mother made small talk, the father just kept staring at me.  After several attempts at trying to get him to talk, I reached for the 16 gauge shotgun in front of me and began to clean it.  I guess none of her previous suitors had reacted in such a way, because he smiled and we got along fine from then on.  Unfortunately for Alex, I know that trick and it does not work on me.

Ready to take on the town

Alex is not Kirsten's first boyfriend.  Although, he is the first one I have let leave the house with her.  Her first boyfriend was too quiet.  I couldn't get the kid to talk.  When he did speak, he called me "SIR," which was a point in his favor, but he rarely said anything.  Her next one I was not a fan of.  The first time I met him he never acknowledged me standing there.  He spoke to Kirsten and ignored me.  Not a good first impression, Skippy.  He did the same the next time I saw him.  Do parents not teach their kids basic manners any more?

So, now she has been dating the same boy for over six months.  I am pleased that I am familiar with the boy that she is dating, but I cannot help but keep in mind that the longer a couple are together the more familiar they get with each other.  I am happy that she is dating a respectful, young man, but still wary of the mind of the average teenage boy.  I am not saying he has bad intentions, but I know how the male mind works, especially the adolescent male mind.

Need lots of pictures to make the parents happy

Regardless of where I stand on the dating life of my teenage daughter, she is growing up.  Her going to her first prom was a reminder of that fact.  In fact, today was a series of firsts reminding me all day.  Kirsten has not really worn high heels before, so today, her and I walked around the parking lot of our apartment so she could practice.  I have never walked in heels, so I could not offer any pointers, but I could observe to see if her walk looked natural.  She did not want to look stupid on heels.  She has noticed that at other dances, you can easily spot the girls that are not used to heels.  She wanted to look like a heels master.  Kirsten also decided that she wanted to wear fake lashes tonight.  After a couple of attempts at putting them on, she came and asked for my help.  Yes, I put my daughter's lashes on for her dance.  I did not get them straight on the first few attempts, but I figured it out and they look good.  I am secure enough in my masculinity that I can be proud of how well I put on fake lashes.   

So now I am at home alone hoping that they are having a good time, but not too good of a time.  I can't help but worry.  I love my daughter and it is wonderful to get to watch her grow into a young woman.  She has a good head on her shoulders and has a strong sense of values, but a father still worries.  I just want the best for her.