2 blinks….

And like that they’re gone.  2 blinks of an eye, I am certain that’s all the time that has passed since I was picking my twin daughters up from pre-school waiting to hear the joyful scream of “daaaaa-deeeeee” that made everything else that had happened in the day just melt away. And now suddenly I am putting the finishing touches on items being hung on dorm room walls and emptying the trunk until there is nothing left.

To the parents who understand I ask, how does this happen?  And to the parents who think this day will never come I promise you, it does, and it happens faster than you can truly imagine.  Please understand how proud I am of their hard work and grateful they have found topics to pursue that interest and challenge them as this move to college is the dream my bride and I had 18+ years ago yet it seems like that time we planned and hoped was just was just so far away.

So I share my wish that you take every moment and treasure it, read one (or two!) extra stories before bedtime and spend 15 extra minutes on the playground playing hide-n-seek.  They remember and I do too.  I feel a little guilty now for the frustration I sometimes felt like the day wouldn’t end yet grateful for spousal support that created the space to be an active father, and engaged parent, while growing worthy of my best friend and love.  Pushing swings to the delighted cries of “higher” and learning to support each of the different sports and activities my daughters chose seems like so many things, so many trips to traveling competitions and performances yet as I got into the car and started the trip back to our home I looked over to my love and asked, how did this happen so fast? I swear it was like yesterday when they were getting ready for the first day of kindergarten with their new backpacks and now they are entering college. It feels like it was only 2 blinks of an eye….