My Daughter Flora
If you haven't heard, my daughter Flora is amazing. Flora is my second child, born in 2007 in Topeka, Kansas. Flora has always been quiet and reserved, but under the surface is a never-ending stream of creativity. She’s always filled journals with cartoons, self-made comic strips and poetry. And she almost always has a musical instrument in her hand. It was when I was helping her clean her room last year (right as the pandemic began) that I came across one of her journals that stopped me in my tracks. I try not to be a snoopy dad, but I needed to see this. I know middle children often get overlooked. I had always vowed to never let this happen with my own kids, but as I read Flora’s words it was quickly obvious that she was feeling ignored and forgotten. Her grades had dropped off and she had been pretty withdrawn, but I had just assumed that was normal 13-year-old stuff. That’s when the lightbulb went off. I’ve been in bands my whole life, and over the years have transitioned to m
