Totally Distracted by Life

It's been a busy couple of weeks, especially with the fun of not having my car to drive around, riding my bike to work every day, trying to catch up on a million projects around the house, having an 18 year-old around the house, and rapidly approaching Graduation Day.

Graduation Day??  How can that be?

Eighteen years - zip! They've gone, and suddenly the miracle that turned our happy twosome into a fun-filled threesome has finished all that high-school stuff and is ready to claim his place as a functioning adult member of society and move on with his life.

Job.  College.  Car.  Voter's Card. Etcetera.  Not all in that order.  But the reality is rapidly striking home that the nest is going to be emptying soon.  And he's the first one to get to wing it.

This week is going to be a bit more busy than the previous two, and they were bad enough.  But this week is Baccalaureate, Convocation, and then, of course, Graduation.  With two sets of grandparents coming into town.  And there's going to be the usual wringing of hands - "Oh! Where has the time gone?" - and the same old question, over and over again - "So, what are you going to do with your life?" - which he's probably tired of by now.

He's had enough of the bothersome parental nagging - "Have you got a job yet?  College isn't cheap, you know!" - which is only to be expected, as we've seen the bill for college and (surprise!) it ain't cheap.  And he's probably looking forward to a break from the academic stress.  Goofing off, hanging out with friends, writing, relaxing, and all that.

But the clock is still ticking, and summer will soon be over, and then there will be a Reckoning to decide whether he's really ready to jump out into the Big, Scary World and take it all on.  As the Dad, I'm worried and eager, all at the same time.  But mostly worried, because sometimes we dads get blindsided by the rapidity with which our children grow up and suddenly don't seem to need us as much anymore.