My beautiful Julia turns 18 today.  I don't remember being 18 that much.  I do remember wanting to be 21 but that's about it.  18 is the age you can fight for your country but you cannot drink a beer.  You are still living at home yet your parents cannot see your medical records anymore.  You are so excited to be an adult yet you still feel like a child.  hahaha

All of these things are valid.  Each instance has a defining factor in a young person's life.  The truth is life has no defining path for success or failure.  You can accomplish either by making different decisions for your life.  Nobody has the formula and that is truly the toughest part of life's experiences.  You are meant to create a life for yourself and share the stories later in life fr others to learn from.

My Julia has been full of life since the day she was born.  She had to enter this world 5 months early and party in the NICU with the nurses.   

Her first 18 years of life have been exciting to say the least.  I love how much she consumes life through her love for theater, music, dance, art and her love for productions.  She loves the process and honestly that is such an important factor in life.  It is a process.  Even though she is my oldest and most duplicated version of myself, she is very different in many ways. 
One - she is a girl. I am a boy.      heheheheh
She can sing.  I cannot.
She can dance.  They say I cannot. 
She has her whole life ahead of her. I hope I do to.
The list goes on and on whether it's in a humorous or not.  She is my daughter.  She is an amazing soul and her life will be as well.  Whatever her journey will become I'm all in!!!  
Her life is not mine but being in her life as her father is my journey.  I will always protect.  I will always support.  I will always love her for the JULIA she is.  My Julia.  :) .