When your daughter turns 21……..

“No matter how many birthdays come and go, you’ll always be my little girl”. 

I went to bed last night with ‘The Doodle’ on my mind. I named my daughter Doodlebug before she ever had her given name of Laura. When I found out I was pregnant and it was a girl, the name game began. Her father and I attended a film series that Summer at Woodruff Arts Center – watching the old black and white movie ‘Laura’ with Gene Tierney. The theme song was very moving…. thus we found the name for our Doodlebug. Doodlebug was then shortened to Bug to Doodle to the Doodliedoo when I’m feeling silly (much to her chagrin I think — LOL). But mainly it’s Doodle. She even sports the nickname on the front of her car.

21. Wow. It really does fly by. Sometimes it seems so very long ago (like today) and then sometimes it feels like yesterday when we were catching fireflies, planting flowers, picking out the perfect Halloween costume that was worn for the entire month of October -and then some.  I would rock you to sleep singing Carly Simon’s ‘You’re the Love of My Life’. 

She has this glorious brown wavy hair. Upon birth she was curly headed and adorable. I’ll never forget when she was about two. We were at The Cloister Hotel on Sea Island as she toddled down the beach, completely on a mission to somewhere. She then decided that the bathing suit was too taboo thus over her shoulder it went flying along with a diaper directly after the fact. That little curly headed Doodle sashayed down the beach like a Coppertone ad white bottom and brown tiny body – curly hair bouncing. She protests with a smile on her face when I tell that story now. I think she secretly likes it though.

She’s much more serious than I am even at 21.  She’s now in her senior year of college and doing quite well. I’m very proud of her and who she has become. She’s learning who she is and how all of that works in the world.   She’s growing into Laura. But she’ll always be my Doodle and the stories that go along with that.

Happy 21st Birthday sweetheart. Mom loves you – more than a million red M&Ms. ::::beaming:::::::