Suffer the Little Children

I am supposed to be taking a nap. I am tired, but my mind keeps wondering all over the place and I cant make myself fall asleep. Go figure. I talked to Alex last night, she called to thank me for the Christmas presents. I was happily surprised that she called. Alex never says thank you (that's her only fault...smile). She is away at her dads house for the holidays and she said that she was having a good time. Now that was a surprise. She never says she has fun when she goes there. Actually, she doesn't say much about him at all.

Our conversation wasn't a long one. She told me that she got a lot of clothes for Christmas (which she needed), however none of the items were her taste (duh), so she was taking everything back to the stores to exchange them for other (more stylish) things. Alex cracked me up because she said, "You know my mom got me this sweater and I swore that when I opened the box the sweater moved. That bad boy was alive!" Yeah, the clothing is just another example that her mom doesn't have the best taste or judgement for that matter.

We chatted for a few more minutes and I asked her if she wanted to take (what is becoming a ritual for us) another trip to NYC to see a show. It looks like it will be The Little Mermaid and it looks like we will hit the road during her Spring Break.

Alex has grown on me over the past 16 years of her life. She entered this world as an "oops". Neither her mother or her father (for that matter) wanted her here. Alex was one of those inconvenient truths. God, I can remember all the drama all those years ago when it got all over campus that Alex would be arriving in "9 months". People were only interested in Alex's impending arrival because paternity was an issue.

Over the years, I have watched Alex grow into someone that is wise beyond her years (OK, and we wont even go there about her book smarts. Let's just say, the world better watch out). She has definitely embodied the old saying, "take life's lemons and make lemonade." When she was little, she lived in a homeless shelter with her mother. She has been the recipient of numerous charities. She has spent a large portion of her formative years believing that people had to call you and threaten you before you were supposed to pay your bills. She has been the proverbial rose in front of the prison door. She has thrived, even though her circumstances and examples (almost all her mother) haven't been the best.

What I am struck by is that she has remained positive. She has remained calm. Always. She observes situations like only a giant cat would (literally...she has very light brown eyes) and then makes decisions that would make most adults would shudder. She is a thinker. I know that she will have an enormous impact on this world. It is almost impossible that she wouldn't.

Although Alex's mom and I haven't spoken in 2 years (that story will be my first screenplay, I promise). I am glad that she knocked on my door all those years ago and let it out that Alex was coming. Who knew that when Alex made her entrance into the world all those years ago that I would come to love her so. I guess life is strange that way.