It is an amazing experience to go through and witness as a baby turns into an independent being. My baby will be turning 15 this coming year. And, I’m floored. This morning, as I woke up, one of my first thoughts was how he was going to be 15 years old. I wouldn’t say I was in panic mode, but I felt some anxiety.

I felt time escaping me. I felt that innocence was slipping away. I felt sadness at him, possibly rejecting holding my hand in public. How does a parent let go? It boggles my mind.

As I pondered the fact that my baby boy was growing up, I took grand delight in noticing his hat. His hat has a penguin on it. As a kid, as a baby, he was obsessed with penguins. We were quite fortunate to see the march of the penguins in Australia. We also got a chance to gang out and physically interact with penguins in San Diego. As a kid, he bad about 20 penguin plushies.

And, as a 14 year old he still has a penguin on his hat. I noticed the small design and felt a surge of happiness.

He’s still my baby. He always will be.