My baby turns 24 today! I’ll skip my usual paragraph about how impossible that is, and just go to the part where I ponder how lucky I am to have a daughter as kind, loving, and brilliant as Léah. I’m glad I still have this old blog, if only to wish them a happy birthday as I’ve been doing here every year since Léah turned 10 on December 28, 2004.
It feels especially moving to be writing this, not from my home in L.A., but in Chicago where I’m helping with my dad who’s been in the hospital for a month. Oh, how he loves his granddaughter. He may be the only person in his mid-80s who’s a regular listener to Léah’s wonderful podcast “Looking/Feeling/Queering.” He tries his best to understand all the phrases that Léah has introduced into his life and while he may never fully grasp concepts such as non-binary or genderqueer, he’s making his best attempt (I should record the conversations we have about those concepts for another podcast!). Staying at my sister’s House of Family Archives, I’m surrounded wherever I turn by happy memories of visits to Chicago over the years including the photo below of my Dad, Léah, and my nephew Sammy. (Note to Léah: we’re recreating every photo in this post so get ready!)
The last time I saw Léah was in this city last summer when, following their graduation from NYU, we met up here before they returned to the east coast to start the next chapter of their life. Léah has always loved my hometown of Chicago and may end up here one day. Frankly, I think the sensibilities of this town fit Léah like a glove.
I’m trying not to turn into my father right now and start listing a series of Léah’s accomplishments (as tempting as it is). Instead, I’ll just reiterate how thrilled I’ve been every single day for the past 24 years to be their dad, how much I cherish our connection, and how grateful I am for everything that Léah has taught me.
I look forward to wherever the winds take us, Léah. I love you so, so much.
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