In the shadow of an absent parent...

Kayla's Dad is gone. He moved away yesterday. He left the state and now lives about 175 miles from his daughter. My heart hurts for her.

I won't lie. I am happy for myself. I won't have to deal with him or talk to him or see him as much. In fact, I may never see him again. For me, hooray...

But for my little girl, her Daddy has choosen to remove himself from her life, possibly permanently. I know what I have to do. I know what I am going to do. That is no different than it was before he moved. I am going to love her with all my heart and try every day to build her up and mold her and teach her and help her and... do all the things that moms do for their children. But there is a void now that was not there before and her heart, her identity, her self-image, her world, her whole life's happiness will be effected forever by this action and his choice.

I am in the shadow of a man I hate... and standing in the void he has left behind. I weep for her. I weep for the loss of her Daddy. And all I can do is love her, which I already do with all my being.

I can't fix this, I can't change it. I have no control over him... So there is nothing I can do...

That is a revelation.

How does that go again?

"God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, change the things that I can, and the wisdom to know the difference."