Career Day

When we are young children our parents are the center of our universe. Everything they do is cool and/or funny. We chase after them just wanting to be near them and begging to help them. As we grow into adolescents striving to find ourselves and our independence, the center of our universe slowly shifts from our parents to our friends. Our parents are no longer cool and funny. They even border on embarrassment at times. We no longer chase after them, instead we run from them. It seems it has always been and will continue to be somewhat the nature of our existence. It has to be this way for the survival of humankind. I think it is only when I became a parent that I fully realized the magnitude of this cycle. I'm already dreading that day. Why? Because I remember myself as a teenager. I'm a firm believer in karma so I know that day will come eventually. It makes me not want to waste one moment now with them. Dishes and housework will always be there but my children will not. I want to spend the time with them while they want me around. I want to tuck these precious memories away and pull them out when I'm trying to figure out who is this person in front of me that looks like my child. I realize that there are varying degrees to which parents and their children experience this part of life but I'm preparing for the worse. I'd rather be pleasantly surprised than have the rug pulled out from under me.

I'm sure you want to know where all this came from. Well, it came from something simple. Career Day. Kurtis had the opportunity to speak to Ellie's and Carter's classes about his job. They thought it was sooooo cool to have their dad come to their classroom and meet all their friends. They soaked up every minute of it. Kurtis was the coolest dad and Ellie and Carter were only too happy to claim him. They were literally beaming with pride. I know this won't always be the case but for today, and hopefully the near future, Kurtis and I are still the center of their universe.