With acknowledgments to Paul Harvey, who's lines I've stolen for my last two posts.

Thought you folks might be curious as to how things went last Friday.  In my post then, I shared a wonderful secret that was about to unfold.  Our son Brandon and his wife, April, had flown to Battle Creek on Thursday evening.  His plan was to catch up with his daughter Taylor, at Harper Creek High School on Friday.  And the cool part was that Taylor knew nothing about it.

I imagined in that post what it would be like when Taylor got the call to the office.  Would she worry something was wrong?  Would she get that lump in the pit of her stomach? Well, the answer was a resounding YES to both.  She questioned her teacher when he said, get your things, you're going home.  What?  Me?  She gathered up her books and such and took off down the hall.  All the while hoping and praying that everyone was all right. When she got to the office, the door opened for her.  And on the other side of the door, was her dad.  Very few dry eyes thereafter.

They were able to spend a great weekend together.  Just hanging out.  Sweet time, dampened only by the heartbreak that comes with saying goodbye.  Again.

Brandon joined the Air Force right out of high school in 1997.  He accepted the responsibility of having a child on the way, and wanted to make the best choice possible to be able to provide for his family's needs.  In the years that have passed he's lived in Texas, Washington State, New Mexico, and for the last number of years, Georgia.   In short, nowhere near Michigan.

Perhaps I shouldn't say anything but selfishly, I mourn for the years that we never got to "hang out."  To enjoy that wonderful time when your kids pass from being your kids to being your friends.  When your advice and counsel and life experience now means something to them. When you begin to relate as adults, parents and as equals.

I confess, when they left my heart broke too.  I would have loved nothing more than if we all could have spent more time together.  But, in the words of John Lennon, life is what happens when you're busy making other plans.

 

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