Today, October 7, my daughter Martha turns 22.
There is something different about celebrating the birthday of an adult child. The candles may keep adding up, but a parent still carries every version of that child somewhere inside—the little girl you once held, the young person finding her way, and now the woman building a life that is increasingly her own.
At 22, Martha does not need me to tell her who to become. That part belongs to her.
What I can tell her is something much simpler: I am proud of you – always will be.
Adulthood rarely unfolds exactly the way we imagine it will. There will be seasons of certainty and seasons when nothing seems certain at all. There will be people who stay, people who leave, opportunities that open unexpectedly, and plans that take a completely different direction.
Through all of it, I hope you remain true to yourself.
Maybe that is the perfect thought for your 22nd birthday.
In Filipino, “totoo” means true, real, genuine.
So today, perhaps I can shorten one of the truest things I know into something fitting for 22:
Martha, I love you. 22o.
True yesterday.
True today.
And however much life changes, true always.
Happy 22nd birthday, Martha.
Keep becoming the woman you choose to be. Keep building a life that feels genuinely yours. And wherever that life takes you, always know that you have a dad who loves you, believes in you, and will forever be proud to call you his daughter. Stay safe. Be happy.
I love you, Martha. 22o.