Baby Calendar -- Writer's Poke #179

This may not be a new idea, but it's a new experience that I'm now living with.

Everyone knows that I'm a father, and it's a great conversation starter. "How old is Octavia now?" they might ask. And I tell them, following the baby protocol by giving her age in months.

What I've discovered is that Octavia is my walking, breathing calendar. My wife and I have been together for ten years, for example, but the passage of married time isn't that noticeable. On the other hand, I've been with Octavia from the very beginning. And even "before" the beginning, for that matter.

When she turned 15 months old, it struck me. Not only is she 15 months old, but I'm 15 months older than I was when she was born! Maybe that's not an earth-shaking realization, but she will always be my age-marker, and as she grows older, I will see in her my own aging.

How do you feel about aging? What reminds you that you're growing older?

"Thirty-five is a very attractive age. London society is full of women of the highest birth who have, of their own choice, remained thirty-five for years." -- Oscar Wilde

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