Daughter + Gaza Protest

My oldest daughter called me today to ask if she could go to Salt Lake City to protest. This is the first time she has made such a request. She will be 18 this month, so I didn’t feel like I should stop her or encourage her. I just asked that she be very vigilant and observant of the people protesting on both sides of the matter. I told her to look at the energy of the people and try to find the people who share the energy you want more of in your life. I asked her if protesting in Utah for a matter across the world will be a good use of her time and make the impact she wants.

I am very excited for her to be a part of this right and freedom we have and hope that her first protest teaches her a lot. I have had to practice a lot of chill being dad. I feel like 5 years ago I would have been way more vocal about my own feelings on the matter. Now I realize that my job of a parent is to support her, not make her into another me. This is an opinion on parenting, of course, and everyone might do it a little different, but there is beauty in watching our children become something so unique and alive and very different than us. She knows I want her to learn and grow and that I don’t fear her path, but will give her the flashlight and provisions if I have any so her path is more clear.

In a future email I will tell you about a time when my dad demonstrated this principle to me by helping me pack a bag so that I could ride on the back of a train as a hobo. I was roughly same age as my daughter, 25 years ago. I plan to make a 10 part series of my adventures in hoboing.

Take care you all and have a wonderful weekend and 4:20

SP