I watch 6News Good Morning Indiana while I get ready on work mornings. Weather guesser Paul Poteet has a sharp, fast wit, and I can usually use a laugh at 5:30 in the morning. (I would have killed for Paul’s wit when I did radio years ago.)
I think I’ve left more comments on Good Morning Indiana’s blog than anybody. Anchor Grace Trahan writes every morning, usually about the show but sometimes about her family. Today she wrote about taking her oldest son to his first day of kindergarten. My loyal readers (all three of you) know that kindergarten, memories of which appear here and here, has been a favorite topic.
I was excited for my sons on the days they started kindergarten. I left for work late so I could see them board the school bus. I could almost feel them growing up as they climbed the steps, their hands on the rail and their superhero backpacks hanging low. I’m sure my grin looked plenty goofy as I watched them go.
One son was absolutely thrilled to get to ride the bus. He had watched his stepbrother do it for years and was just sure it must be awesome and a real sign of being big. When I came home that afternoon, he chattered for a long time about the bus ride, telling me every detail. He mentioned that the school thing was okay too. His younger brother seemed unsure and nervous when his turn came, but because his bigger brother was there to show him the ropes, he did fine. I came home to find out he wasn’t very excited about school, though.
Somebody once told me that mothers always want their children to stay children just a little bit longer, while fathers are excited to watch their children to grow up. This seemed to hold true for my sons’ mother and me. When the boys first boarded the bus, she mourned losing that bit of their littleness. I think she was like many other moms in that she also worried about the risks and dangers that could lie ahead. In contrast, I was excited because of the adventures and opportunities they would encounter. I love to see my sons reach new levels, whether it be learning to ride a bike, catching their first fish, starting middle school, or getting a driver’s license. I want to see them become more independent so they can increasingly make their way in the world and experience life’s goodness.
Still, I am glad for my sons as they are today. As I write this, my sons are playing in the living room as boys do, running around making laser and explosion sounds. I’m sure that one day I’ll wish I could return to today, just for a little while, to hear them play again. But I’ll be more than satisfied on that day if I can sit around the kitchen table with my grown sons, listening to stories of their adventures.
