Morning Chat

We have enjoyed our too brief visit with our daughter immensely. It is often hard for us to realize that she is now a grown woman, no longer the little girl we so fondly remember. When we see the success she has made of her life so far - living miles from any parental support (except these occasional visits), managing a full load of difficult senior-level science courses, finding time for her many friends and volunteer activities - we know she has matured into a fine young woman. Yet, there are times like this morning when she crawls onto the bed next to my wife for a chat, where I can still imagine her the little girl I once adored. Of course the chat this morning was about how Bill Gates became a success according to Malcolm Gladwell in his book Outliers:The Story of Success, which my daughter is currently reading for pleasure and about which she is highly passionate. Not exactly the conversations we used to have those early mornings back in Washington.

We will miss our daughter tremendously when we return to Zihuatanejo tomorrow morning, but will carry with us many happy memories from this past week to get us through until she visits in December.