Ale just turned 15… and I’m still processing her turning 10

 

It’s funny how the big moments never announce themselves.

Sometimes they sneak up on you quietly — like on a random weekday evening, when Ale was at the dining table, school notes everywhere, Bluetooth speaker on.

The wifey and I were on the sofa, scrolling YouTube on the television. And then — out of nowhere — I looked over and saw her.

Not just saw her, but really saw her. The focused frown. The droopy spectacles. The way she absentmindedly hummed while writing away.

And it struck me — she’s no longer that little girl who used to sit there colouring Peppa Pig while munching Pocky sticks, with her Elsa doll beside her.

These are the moments no one warns you about. Not the birthdays, not the milestones, but the small, everyday snippets of life that slowly stretch the distance between who she was and who she’s becoming.

And I swear, in that one moment, my heart did a weird mix of pride and ache.

Because… fifteen.

She’s fifteen.

And I’m not sure when that happened.

But if there’s one thing that hasn’t changed, it’s how much she still talks to us.

Even as the teenage years roll in, Ale continues to share — the jokes, the drama, the school rants, the teacher stories.

Some nights, the wifey and I just sit there in awe (and mild amusement) at how animated she can get. But honestly, I love it.

Even on the days I’m tired, I remind myself: this is gold. Because every time she flops onto the sofa with “you won’t believe what happened today,” it reminds me that she still wants us in her orbit.

And that’s no small thing.

She’s also the unspoken glue between her two brothers. 

When she’s home, the volume level magically doubles. Her brothers suddenly have things to say, things to tease, things to laugh about. When she’s not, the silence feels strange - it’s as if she’s the WiFi router of the family: once she’s offline, everyone’s signal drops.

Then there’s her focus... when she studies.

Laser-focused. Tunneled in. The rest of the world could be on fire and she’d still be colour-coding her notes.

This year, I actually had to nag her not to over-pressure herself and chill more. Imagine that — me, telling my teenager to take a break. The same dad who used to say “Go study!” is now saying “Go scroll TikTok or something!"

Parenting plot twist of the year.

But that’s Ale — when she commits, she goes all in. 

She’s also my unofficial social media advisor.

She tells me what songs are trending, which memes are already dead, and which emojis I should never use again (Apparently, the 😅 is no longer cool. Who decides these things?!). She laughs at my playlist and saves me from saying outdated things online.

Basically, she’s the reason I can still kind of pass off as a semi-cool dad.

And beneath all that sass and sparkle is her heart — kind, thoughtful, quietly strong.

She checks in on her grandparents, remembers small details, and has this way of caring that feels effortless. No big show, no fuss, just quiet kindness that shines through everything she does.

So here we are — fifteen.

Fifteen years of laughter, growing pains, eye-rolls, and love.

Fifteen years of watching her grow into someone I’m so proud of — not because she’s perfect, but because she’s real, grounded, and kind.

Fifteen years of her teaching me as much as I’ve taught her.

Happy 15th Birthday, Ale. 🥰

Keep being the wonderful, curious, caring soul that you are.

Keep chasing what you love. And maybe, once in a while, remember to take that break your old man keeps nagging about.

And me?

I’ll keep watching from the sidelines — proud, amazed, and a little heartbroken that the years are racing ahead faster than I can hold them.

Because the days feel long, but the years… they keep sprinting ahead —

and I’m just trying to keep up with her glow.