I have discovered a rift in the space-time continuum. There is no other explanation. Because I cannot possibly have an eighteen year-old daughter when I am barely past eighteen myself.
Apparently, however, she will be turning eighteen within mere days. And that has me feeling nostalgic and sentimental. And old. I am filled with an odd mixture of pride and amazement that I was actually instrumental in helping another human being navigate eighteen years of life and reach the cusp of adulthood. Much like the feeling I experienced on her first birthday when it occurred to me that I had successfully kept a helpless individual alive for an entire year.
While I am inclined to reflect upon the past eighteen years through meandering reminiscences and anecdotes and well-worn platitudes, I thought it might be preferable to simply condense those years into a series of photographs. Halloween photographs. As I pored over old photographs and made my selections, I was overcome with memories. And with immense relief that my daughter does not read this blog.
So in honour of her eighteenth birthday, here are Eighteen Halloweens:
Apparently, however, she will be turning eighteen within mere days. And that has me feeling nostalgic and sentimental. And old. I am filled with an odd mixture of pride and amazement that I was actually instrumental in helping another human being navigate eighteen years of life and reach the cusp of adulthood. Much like the feeling I experienced on her first birthday when it occurred to me that I had successfully kept a helpless individual alive for an entire year.
While I am inclined to reflect upon the past eighteen years through meandering reminiscences and anecdotes and well-worn platitudes, I thought it might be preferable to simply condense those years into a series of photographs. Halloween photographs. As I pored over old photographs and made my selections, I was overcome with memories. And with immense relief that my daughter does not read this blog.
So in honour of her eighteenth birthday, here are Eighteen Halloweens:
1992 - Year Of The Baby As An Excuse For Dressing Up Even Though We Weren't Going Out And Had No Trick-or-Treaters Because We Lived In An Apartment
1993 - Year Of The Felt Bats
1994 - Year Of Insisting Upon Dressing Up As Favourite TV Character
1995 - Year Of The Super-Hero
1996 - Year Of Allowing A Small Amount Of Make-Up To Be Applied To Face (For The Last Time Ever)
1997 - Year Of The Winter Jacket Under Costume
1998 - Year Of Insisting Upon Store-Bought "Cute" Costume
1999 - Year Of The Homemade Ghost
2000 - Year Of Refusing to Wear Mask Or Make-Up
2001 - Year Of The Cardboard Masterpiece (But Still No Mask Or Make-Up)
2002 - Year Of The First Repeat Costume (And Still No Mask Or Make-Up)
2003 - Year Of The Pizza
2004 - Year Of The Cat/Raccoon/Random Animal (And Finally A Mask!)
2005 - Year Of Dressing As A Vampire Using Own Teeth (Braces Went On The Next Day)
2006 - Year Of The Werewolf
2007 - Year Of Insisting On Wearing Beloved Werewolf Mask Again Despite Parent's Alternative Suggestions
2008 - Year Of The Werewolf - Part Three (Parent Has Now Given Up)
2009 - Year Of The Salem Trip (Because I Couldn't Bring Myself To Include Another Werewolf Photo)