Three weeks left! How cool is that?!
Only twenty-one days, people. Nothing we can’t handle. (-:
So, twenty-one? You guys must have some memories of that number, yes? (With a few possible exceptions, I’d imagine that most of you have already reached that age milestone.)
If you have, do you remember how you felt? What you did? Who you celebrated with? (And how you felt the next morning?!)
Seriously, though, close your eyes, and think about it. And try to remember what it meant to you. And how maybe you even paused for a minute and thought of all the things you did leading up to that day. All the things you thought about along your journey, right up to that point.
Now close your eyes again, and this time, imagine that your son or daughter just turned 21 years of age.
Well, I bet that woke a few of you up, huh?!
Considering that my own maturity level barely – if ever – eclipses age 19, the thought of me having a child who has reached age 21 seems a practical impossibility.
Thing is, though, it actually happened for me a little earlier this year.
It’s normal, I think, to gauge things in terms of time passing. (I mean, look at what we’re doing right now.) But somehow, when it comes to your kids, all bets feel like they are effectively off.
What do I mean? OK, try this: I bet you feel like your days are long sometimes, right? I’m with ‘ya, and I would never argue that. But like a good friend of mine told me once: “The days are long, but the years zoom right on by.”
Yeah, I know that seems pretty basic, but every cliche you hear about your kids growing up quickly always feels like the absolute law, doesn’t it? Man, I think authors, and filmmakers, and even TV talk show hosts dramatize those time passages just to remind us that plenty of weepy moments are just around the corner. Who knows, maybe they’re doing all of us a favor.
So, if you’re reading this, and you have a son or daughter who is about to hit one of those milestone ages, don’t freak out too badly! I guess it’s really just another step in the process for all of us – just a reminder to savor the good stuff, neutralize the bad, and try to somehow just keep pace. As we discussed a little bit ago, those cliches, although they may drive us crazy, are often eerily accurate.
And just as time marches on, all we can do is our very best to stay in step.
Hope to see you all tomorrow.
JFish