Thursday 15 July 2010

Going So Fast, It's Passing Me By

Individual days with tumultuous teens can seem so very long at times...

But then the whole era seems to be rushing by me.

My number 4 child, after an eye-awakening senior year , is on his way to college in the fall. Another milestone...

Two daughters are one their way to high school and we have only one son left in middle school...they are all truly teenagers.

So while Fhina considers how to re-appropriate the well-loved, and much used dining room table in her home, I am noticing that within 5 short years our house will be similarly empty.

That's the thing about teenagers, just when we think we can't stand to be around them at all any more -- we're not. They move on. After all, this is what they are supposed to do.

Moving on. A metaphorical event occurred today:

EJ and I ran a 5k road race "together". It was fun to plan, to train, to sign up, and to wear matching shirts. We looked forward to the time alone and the common interest. As we lined up at the starting line the excitement of the all female crowd of 1100 runners around us gave us both chills. So cool that we were doing this together. Together --- ha, she ran the 5K, passed me by so quickly that she actually mussed my hair, and I managed to finish a mere 22 minutes behind her! (Yeah, I'm really slow and she finished 27th out of over 1100 runners!)

This same wonderful child who came to us at 9 years old with virtually no body awareness, ran like Phoebe on "Friends", and was literally afraid to be in a room by herself, is flying past me. Flying past me right into the future.



The future is almost here, and I am the only one who is not ready.

4 comments:

  1. Having to go through a door to a room we don't want to enter...that's what it can feel like sometimes can't it? but all will be well...and well done on the race! p.s. I run like Phoebe too......

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  2. great joys in your life....lovely post..togetherness is family...

    saz x

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  3. Yes, it all comes around so quickly. That's when I thank the stars for the 7 year old to go with the teens. By the time he leaves the nest I'll be so old and senile I won't even notice!

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  4. libby, thanks for the door visualization. You are so right! And all will be well. Phoebe is so cool.
    Thanks, Saz. Your words mean a lot to me.
    Expat - we too, have our kids very spread out so that we can enjoy all stages...yet we seem to be coming to the end now (husband would say "finally") Our youngest is 14!
    Sink

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