Dear Sofia,
Happy Sweet 16 Kiddo! I guess I can't call you Kiddo anymore, huh?
You've become such a grown up this year. You got an afterschool job at the coffee shop by the hospital. You love having your own money to spend, and you seem to enjoy the work. Quite a few people from the hospital spend time there, so you frequently know the hospital gossip before Lexie, your moms, or I do.
I kept my promise from a few years ago, you won't be getting a car from me for your 16th birthday. You have the test to get your license scheduled for right after school lets out for the summer. The idea of you driving by yourself terrifies me, mainly because I've seen what happens to teenage drivers, and it's frequently not their fault. There are a lot of bad drivers out there. I don't want to be next to you bed in the hospital for weeks because you almost died in a car accident again. If there's one thing you've learned from me, it's probably that I'm horrified that something will happen to you again and we won't be as lucky as we have been in the past.
Seeing the woman you've become makes me proud. There was a point in my life where I was told that I would make a horrible father. By agreeing to be an active part of your life and not just the cool uncle like Madre suggested, I've proven to not only myself but also to the other people in my life that I am not a horrible father. I wouldn't call myself father of the year, but I think you've turned out alright.
When I think about everything I have learned from you over the past 16 years, the thing that really stands out for me is that you can do things you were never expected to do. You weren't expected to survive your birth, but now you're one of the smartest kids at your school. You're still my wild child. Timmy and Bethany are much more laid back than you are. I think you're only that way as a way of showing us that you're here and so full of life.
Happy Birthday and don't ever change!
Love,
Dad