Here one minute...

I remember this day like it was yesterday…My son had decided to play football. He was just 8 yrs old and had never played before. We got all his pads and equipment together, I showed him which pad went where and he scurried off to his room to try it all on…he was so excited. About 20 minutes later, he sort of slumbered out of his room softly bumping in to the walls all the way down the hall. When he stepped in the living room, I couldn’t help but bust out laughing. He did in fact have the pads in the right places, but most of them were flipped upside down or backwards! Once we got everything straightened out, he said “I thought it felt pretty weird.” So began his football experience.

Well, last night, now a senior in high school, his team made it to the 2nd round playoffs for his division, but then lost by a very narrow margin. As I drove home from the game, I couldn’t help but think of that first time he had his pads on. Then I remembered driving him to practice, I coached his team 2 years in pee wee, all the advice I gave, games we endured during hot or cold times, and end of the season dinners. Now it is all over. No more “well next season we can try this…or that.” Last night was the last time my son will ever wear a football uniform again. That hits home, hard.

He has plans to go to college at West Point in 8 months and from where we live that is a long ways off. It is at least a plane trip and 2 days away. Plus in the military academy will not allow personal visits until Christmas. This is going to be a rough change. He is our only child and it seems like all the time we spent preparing…is over.

So as I see it now…every day is a step closer to the end. Every hour needs to be filled with a memory that will be cherished. I feel like we accidentally hit fast forward or something….one minute we were in line dropping him off at school and I got a hug and kiss…now he jumps in his car each morning and heads out, often times before I see him. So congratulations to me…I raised my son…now I want him back.