Celebration time

Today is Amanda's birthday. She's 15. We're spending the day together, just the two of us, in Charlottesville.

We'll start with a guided tour of the University of Virginia. This was my idea and I was surprised when she agreed to it. It will require our leaving East Jesus at 8:00am, which, to her, is like 3:00am to a normal person.

I want her to see what's possible for her future, a future she could compromise with a single bad decision. The kid is book smart, but street smart she isn't. We talk about everything, and intellectually she seems able to grasp the risks present in her life. But from a practical standpoint, there is ample room for concern. The kid has the practical sense of a pea. So far this has been minimally consequential, but how long can her luck (and mine) last?

After our campus visit we'll hit the stores. And maybe a movie. Who knows? Our afternoon is wide open. Then for dinner, she and I will enjoy the Valentine's Special at The Melting Pot.

When we return home, we'll cap off the night with her favorite dessert: cheesecake.

And then I'll go to bed and try not to think that in a year she'll be driving.