Tomorrow Liv and Maddie comes to an end…and so does another chapter of my life.

I love Liv and Maddie, but that’s not the cause of all the drama.  It’s just the last show that my daughter Emma and I used to watch together.  In just a couple of weeks, the little girl who will forever be my baby becomes a teenager, and it’s all happening too fast.  I can’t help but look at pictures of her from 5, 6, 7, 10 years ago and remember how much she adored her daddy.  I still remember how she told me she wanted to marry me when she grows up.  She was all of three years old at the time and I asked, “Well, what about mommy?”  And she said she could still stay married to me, too.  I didn’t think at three years old it was the right time to talk about polygamy, and remember just saying to her, “I’m sure you’ll find someone you’ll want to marry when you get older, and no matter what I’ll always love you.”

We used to do EVERYTHING together.  And don’t get me wrong, we still do a lot.  But as she has gotten older, more independent, carving out her own identity, she wants to fly on her own and I am so proud of the woman she is becoming.  I’m still there to guide her and nudge her in what I hope is the right direction, but she is doing so much more by herself.  It’s a little scary for me.  But also I am immensely proud of her at the same time.  Thanks to the folks at Disney, I got to see an advance screening of the series finale, and sure enough it made me tear up – but of course that was just the dust in the air.  Still, there was one scene where Liv and Maddie’s mom tells them, “The greatest gift a mother can get is knowing she raised her kids to be confident enough to pursue their dreams.” I can tell you, the same is true for dads.

Fans of Liv and Maddie will be happy with how the creators ended the show.  It contains some surprises, some laughs, some tears, and hope for the future – the way any good show would end.  It gives you a glimpse into what’s ahead for each of the Rooney clan and says goodbye in a fitting way.  It was a nice touch that they ran the credits early so you could enjoy the final scene without interruption or feel like it was a second thought.  I was sad that Pete Rooney – the kids’ father – did not return for one last farewell, but other than that it was a near perfect show.  I’m not going to tell you what happens exactly because I hope you’ll experience it for yourself.  But is it worthwhile?  Most definitely, yes!

So even though I’ve seen it, I’m going to sit down tonight with my daughter and watch one more show together.  As we say goodbye to Liv and Maddie we’ll also be saying goodbye to another chapter in our lives.  I’m sure there will continue to be things we share, but it’s one more sign that my little girl is growing up.  As Liv and Maddie’s mom, Karen said to the kids, “So wherever you go, may your dreams always be big and your worries small.”  What more could a parent hope for?  I can’t wait to see where the next chapter of my daughter’s life takes her!

• Yet another great Disney Channel show says goodbye! – Girl Meets World

Save