When Grant and I were in junior high, we would sneak out and meet each other in a field that connected my neighborhood to his. I don’t even remember what we would do. It was so innocent. We were just friends walking around the neighborhood or listening to music in his room. It was before cell phones. Before drinking or smoking. There was never even a kiss. They were the best nights. I knew then, like I know now, that he has the kindest heart. I’ve never had a friendship with a boy like I had with him, especially not in those awkward teen years. His parents live in that neighborhood now, and the tall grass still doesn’t grow in the place where the road ends and the field begins, where I would hop through to meet him. When I drive by and see that spot, I always think of the beginning of our friendship, and the connection that was clearly there a long time ago.
Time is funny. Those junior high days seem like a lifetime ago. Other things seem to fly by in the blink of an eye. Parenting, of course is one of them. Bugsy is about to be six and I can hardly believe it . The most surreal thing, I think, about children growing is when they get to the age that you have memories of being yourself, and it doesn’t seem that long ago. I clearly remember being six. In a way, it adds even more pressure to the job of parenting. “Oh crap, don’t mess him up now, he’s going to remember this“ HA! Honestly though, Bugs and Boo are such an incredible little beings. Their capacity to feel, love, and understand makes me strive to be a better person. All that matters to me is that I do right by them. It’s truly amazing that in what feels like warped speed, they have gone from tiny babies to amazing humans with thoughts and feelings that seem to be much beyond their years.
When time seems to be dragging on, in regards to this deployment, I like to think about times that seem to have flown by. I guess in hopes that this time will fly by too. It isn’t working yet. That saying about raising kids that goes “the days are long but the years are short” is true for children. But so far, with Grant being away it seems like the days are fast but the year is still long. What I know is this: in our big long story that started way back in grade school, this will be a tiny blip. Someday when we’re old and wrinkled, when our kids are grown, we will look back on this time and marvel at how long ago it seems, and how fast it went by.
bugsyandboo 