Not my photograph, but it makes the point nicely.
Cold with occasional light snow here in Mid-Michigan this morning. Since classes for the semester ended last Friday, I am home in the early mornings now and giving The Grand Duchess a break by getting our 10-year old son up and ready for school between now and the first week of January. A few minutes before the school bus arrived today, The Young Master and I bundled up in our winter coats, scarves, hats, and mittens for the walk down the driveway to the mailbox where we wait a few minutes until the big yellow bus with its blinking red and yellow lights arrives.
Although now at an age where he asserts his independence more and more where food, clothes, shoes, and other things are concerned, he slipped his hand into mine as we made covered the short distance from the front door to the end of the driveway. I asked him if he remembered when he was younger and held my hand all of the time, to which he replied yes, yes he did. I then told him that I miss those days. Pretty soon, we heard the rumble of the bus, he kissed my cheek, climbed on, I wished him a good day, and he was gone. Until 3:55pm this afternoon.
As my maternal grandmother advised when I got my first apartment at 21 and moved not that far away, "You teach your children to walk, and, when the time comes, you teach them to walk away." Sound advice there, but, probably like all parents, I wish we could keep our son small and with us for just a little while longer.
-- Heinz-Ulrich
Thank you for a perfect mental picture of frosty days gone by. <3
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