Someday she'll leave us....

This past Friday we went to a graduation dinner for my cousins Lisa & Kathy. At the dinner, both parents (Dan & Lis) gave very nice, touching speeches about what their children mean to them, and their hopes for their futures. The whole time, I was thinking someday, we will have this same experience with Emerson. There was a slide show that showed 18 years of experiences and memories and as it played I looked at Lis and she was crying. Having my own child, I can now fully understand why. Becoming a parent completely changes your entire universe; you cannot describe how much you love your child. We would sacrifice everything and spend endless amounts of money to make sure Emerson was safe, healthy, and happy.


There is a quote that I had read somewhere, that sums up parenting quite nicely: "We raise our children to leave us". We will spend endless hours reading, playing, watching, and talking to her. We will teach her to share. We will teach her to read and write. We will make sure she is ready for kindergarten. We will make sure she finishes her homework and studies for tests. We will attend numerous recitals and athletic events. We will go on vacations. We will teach her to ride a bike and drive a car. We will keep her safe, healthy, and happy for every day of her life. We will give her roots and wings. We will have our own slide show to share. And then one day, we will drop her off at college. And, we too, will cry.