My 14 Year Old Daughter Just Left For Her First Date

My fourteen year old daughter just left for her first date with her first girlfriend.

The girlfriend’s mom came and picked her up, and  the two young ladies just cruised out of the driveway in the backseat of a convertible. 

Some may say that fourteen is too young date. And maybe for some, it is. But I have always had an open relationship with each of my kids.  Each one is different, each one matures at their own pace, and I personally believe it’s only fair that all kids are treated on a person by person basis.

When she was somewhere around twelve, my baby sat me down in the kitchen and told me thru quivering lips that we needed to talk. Her hands trembled, her innocent blue eyes shown vulnerable behind a cascading wave of tears. “Mom. I’m Bi.” she said. I smiled. For a moment I had thought she was going to tell me something BAD. But she hadn’t. So my answer was as follows. “You’re twelve. I know you wont like me for saying this, but you’re growing and changing. So … Maybe you are bi. Maybe you’re gay. Maybe you’re straight. No matter. I Love YOU. And I’ll most likely love Anyone who does the same.” I held my baby as she cried. It was over. I knew. And she knew I supported her No Matter What.

Flash forward to the present. Today, that scared twelve year old is a confident young lady. She knows who she is. She stands up for what she believes in, and what she believes in is beautiful truth. I know her heart, and she knows mine. They are deeply connected. DEEPLY. She came to me a few days ago. “I have a girlfriend!” She exclaimed thru smiles and apparent bliss. In a moment like that, there is NO OTHER EMOTION that a mom COULD feel, SHOULD feel, other than Happiness. Because one of the most beautiful benefits to having children is that somehow, their happiness radiates rite into your very soul.

Yes, she’s young. Yes, she’s more mature and soulful than many adults. And Yes, I am perfectly okay with her going on a date with her girlfriend, who seems as lovely as could be, and her mother does as well. My daughter has always been able to pick the best of the best people for friendships, and  I have no doubt that her relationships will be the same. And I TRUST HER. Fully.