How to feel old in 2 phone calls

A couple of calls last week threw me.

My daughter is 14. She just finished 8th grade, and she is going through some of the emotional struggles that come with being that age. While those years are well behind me, the feelings aren’t. I vividly remember how important certain things felt at the time, and how I knew that my parents didn’t understand me AT ALL.

I think that my girl’s sentiments in that department have only been exacerbated by my move west. It’s simple logistics. I don’t see her nearly as often, and lately we haven’t been talking enough. My nightside schedule at work hasn’t helped matters. I’ve tried to catch her before I leave for the station, or on my dinner break, but sometimes she’s just too busy doing other things to talk to me.

I try to never let the gaps between verbal communication last too long, but recently, I clearly failed in epic fashion.