My Dear Ruthie,

I know that you're amazing and strong, but then there are moments when you even exceed my expectations when it comes to personal strength.  You are incredible!

I've learned more and more recently that I am responsible for my own happiness.  If I wait for someone else to make my day, there is no guarantee that it's going to happen.  I used to wait for random events to cheer me up.  I didn't put enough stock in how little things can help me.  For instance, flowers make me feel wonderful.  Laying out on some grass in the shade, closing my eyes and breathing deep can bring a sense of calm like no other.  

One day I was picking up my son from a friend's house who was watching him while I was at work and I commented on how beautiful her roses were (the kind that are yellowish orange with red tips) and before I knew it, she cut a bunch, put them in one of those glass Kerr canning jars and handed it to me.  I looked at it and exclaimed, "It's like my own little jar of happy!"  We laughed, but the thought stuck with me all day, and as Molly Mormonish as it sounds, I came to the conclusion that I needed to do something each day to fill my own little jar of happy.  It makes the biggest difference.  Sometimes it's just taking a second to watch my son sleep, listening to my favorite song, singing to said song in the car as loud as I want, doing something spontaneous, or serving someone else and taking my mind off of my own little world for a bit.  It IS easy to get depressed with life, and sometimes we need the help of others to get out of our funk, but try little things for yourself and see how things change.  I love you!  Let me know your work schedule this weekend and maybe we can go driving.  Something tells me that whole experience could fill BOTH our jars a bit.  You are wonderful!  

Ruth, you're teenager.  You're suppose to feel that way!  I have two just like you in this house.  One minute I'm gonna slap 'em silly, the next minute I want to hug 'em forever.  One second they got me so ticked off I'm ready to put them on Ebay, the next I can't stop bragging about how wonderful they are.

No one understands the emotions of a teenage girl.  As fathers we learn to deal with it.  You will never understand, just recognize it and do your best to handle it.  That's what makes a young girl a woman and makes a woman so hard to not love and adore!