Hop Dad

A Special Kind of 17

July 1, 2026 at 12:00 pm Leave a comment

To My Sweet Daughter,

In the early years of fatherhood I was often awakened by the sound of you crying from a bad dream or crying because you were hungry or crying because you fell out of bed. I would get up, rescue you from your current condition, and coax you back to sleep.

A few weeks ago I was awakened early by the sound of the front door closing, followed soon by my phone alerting me that there was motion on the front porch. It was you leaving home at 5:30am, heading to your shift at an assisted living facility. I peeked out of the window and watched you get into my car and drive off like some sort of grown up person, instead of continuing to stay in bed and being my precocious little girl who hates getting up early. I am not sure what to make of this new type of sleep disturbance – there was nothing for me to do. I also don’t know what to make of the fact that, as of today, you are seventeen years old.

That early morning departure was a small part of how you spent your busy seventeenth year: attending a nursing assistant program for the first half of the day, while attending to your junior year of high school during the second half of the day, while participating in another year of club volleyball on evenings and weekends. Every day was packed with activity and getting you to each place was a challenge. However, it became easier once the Washington State Department of Licensing, inexplicably, began allowing you to legally drive.

Ok, that’s not fair – you earned the right to drive because you took all of the courses, scored 95% on the written portion, and 100% on the driving test. You deserve that license. Though I must say, handing over the keys to the family car was harder than letting go of your bike as you pedaled away from me.

This year of volleyball was your most successful yet, with deep progression into the high school post-season tournament, a selection to the First Team for North Puget Sound League, and “playing up” on Spaceneedle Volleyball Foundation 18U Secret. Your season with SNVF this year was exceptional: gold medal wins at the Presidents Day Tournament and the Pacific Northwest Qualifier, and a bronze bracket final appearance at the National U18 Tournament. I am intensely proud of all you have accomplished and I look forward to seeing what you will do next year. But I am willing to wait for a while because right now I am very tired, and I know tryouts for next season are already on the horizon.

You have become an experienced traveler, thanks to all of this crisscrossing the country to play your favorite game. This season took us west to Honolulu again, then southeast to Atlanta, and back west again to Reno. You are a curious and assertive traveler. Though I will admit sharing a hotel with you is a challenge. My things stay next to my things while your things explode across the room the moment you open your suitcase. I have to secret away a bath towel for myself because you will use every free, clean cloth available for your shower time. All soaps, bottles of shampoo and conditioner, and makeup wipes will end up in your luggage.

We are now at that time of year where school and sports are done. You have a chance to catch your breath. This is the summer before your senior year of high school and you are very aware of what is ahead. I know you are nervous but also excited to turn 18. Please know that I want you to enjoy your life right now. Despite the relentless sports schedule and dual residences, you have so much freedom. You are still a kid and you need to relish every moment of kid-hood because, sooner than you want, it will be gone for good. That may sound a bit morose and excessively dramatic but take it from a guy who is on the wrong side of 60: you don’t know how good you have it right now.

I know you worry about your grades, and with good reason, but there is still time to get your act together. Uncertainty is common at this point in life and I’d be worried if you didn’t show at least some concern for your future. I am heartened by something encouraging you said the other day when you were tearfully expressing your worries. You said “I know there is a place for me in the world.” There absolutely is, my wonderful child, and the world is waiting for, and needs, someone as special as you.

Today is the day we celebrate you, by sweet daughter, for you are now 17 years old. You have grown and accomplished so much since the last time we celebrated this holiday. Watching you develop into a powerful young woman makes me so proud to be your father.

Happy Birthday to you, my Sweet Boo, my Norah Grace.

Entry filed under: Being Dad. Tags: Being Dad, Children, Dad, Family, Fatherhood, Kids, Mom, Motherhood, Parenting.