August 28, 2008

It was the first day of school today, and Carrie and I saw our three kids off to school – Will to junior high, Ben to middle school and Meg to kindergarten. We took pictures and then the kids were off on their separate ways. This was the first time that I’ve been around the house to share this moment with them (as I am usually at work), and, though it feels weird to say this, I was not prepared for the emotion of it all. I shared with them their excitement and nervousness for the first day (“Will my teacher be nice?”, “What if I get lost?” “I can’t believe summer is over.”), and I felt sad to see them taking another step to growing up.

Then it was just me alone in the house, and I read this letter to the editor in the Chicago Tribune:

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Saying farewell
August 28, 2008
I’ve always considered myself a fairly macho kind of guy. I lift weights regularly and can usually hold back tears during the saddest of movies. Well, I guess this past week I realized I’m not all that I think I am. I’m rather weak actually and as for the tears, I’ve been carrying Kleenex hidden in my back pocket.

This past week I dropped my son Nick off at the University of Illinois to begin his first year away as a college student. It was the hardest thing I have had to endure in recent memory. I don’t think he had a clue how empty I felt inside when I shook his hand and hugged him before I said goodbye. I couldn’t talk and I stared past him figuring if I didn’t blink, I wouldn’t cry. I failed in that attempt. I wanted to stay but knew I had to go. After all, this was his opportunity to enrich his life in so many ways. It hopefully will be the best time of his life so far.

While at home, I was looking at pictures of him in his Halloween costume and Little League uniform and wondered, where did the time go? A trip upstairs to an empty room had me reaching in my back pocket. I miss my son. So while it may take him four years to get an education, it took me only one day to get one. Love your kids and spend as much time with them while you can because before you know it, they’ll be gone and you’ll be the one who has a lot of growing up to do. Most important, I learned that experiences like these can make you stronger than any amount of weightlifting could ever do.
—Bob Gatti
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/chi-0828lettersbriefs1aug28,0,2886210.story
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I’m not one for schmaltz, but I can completely relate to this letter. Moments like these need to captured and shared and returned to, not just to mark and track them, but to re-live them and to really feel them. I hope that this is something that we can help enable for people with LifeSnapz.