I’m sure it was the same for many if not everyone, but 2020 seemed to drag on forever. The primary reason why goes without saying at this point.
And apparently the passage of time seemed determined to balance the books, because 2021 was probably the fastest year I’ve ever experienced. Summer typically always goes by crazy quick, but these past few months especially went by in a blink. Will this coming winter be as generous in a rush to get to the warmer spring season? I’m not betting on it.
Time’s relativity rambling aside, my son marked a big milestone in his young life last week. For months we had been building up to Finn’s first day of school; we periodically discussed it with him while gradually gathering items he would need in terms of supplies for junior kindergarten. My wife and I must have done a halfway decent job of not worrying or overloading him with the prospect, because he made the transition like a champ.
Last Thursday didn’t start out so seamless. Finn had a small early morning breakdown about pants that I unintentionally created. Breakfast was a little too rushed for a day as big as it was. And then while taking my daughter to daycare I accidentally dumped most of my coffee in the car and all over my arm. From the backseat, Piper astutely pointed out, ‘Daddy, coffee hot.’ Coffee hot, indeed! The pint-sized peanut gallery is ever helpful.
I managed to make it back to the house just in time to walk Finn down to school with my wife, and if there was any anxiety present in our little group it certainly wasn’t coming from the four year old. Dad, however, was on edge.
I had been looking forward to this day for a long time, but I had also been fretting over it. I didn’t know how Finn was going to react to being turned over to essentially strangers and thrust into a throng of tykes he didn’t know at all. Everyone goes through it – it’s a natural and necessary transition in life. I did it three-plus decades ago and was fine. But I had never been on the flip side of the coin before, and I finally understand what other parents – mine included – had been talking about all these years and especially the last few months leading up to Finn’s first day. That you have to let go, it is what it is, and it’s out of your hands.
Upon arriving at school, Finn didn’t bat an eye and barely even paused for a kiss goodbye from the two of us. He confidently marched over to his spot in line and that was that. With loitering highly discouraged for parents – for obvious reasons – our task was done and we departed.
I was never an overly emotional guy before I had children, but my kids sometimes get me going in terms of the old waterworks by some of the things they say or do. Having tykes changes you in many ways. Finn’s first school drop off happened so quickly I didn’t have time to get teary-eyed. Later in the day I received an update from the school on the extremely handy teacher-parental app we access, showing Finn happily dancing to an alphabet song along with his classmates. That did it. I managed to keep things together pretty well at my desk, ducking down behind my computer just in case.
It’s amazing how quickly your kids’ milestones come and go. I suppose the important thing is to take the time to enjoy them as they happen, and I’m glad I have this bi-weekly commentary spot to reflect upon them from time to time. One minute they’re holding a fork for the first time, the next they’re discussing the benefits of Rubble’s digger over Chase’s police truck after watching an episode of PAW Patrol.
There’s a sentence I never would have imagined writing 10 years ago.
Thanks for reading and I’ll see you back here in a fortnight.
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This is a bi-weekly opinion column; for question or comment, contact Dan McNee at dmcnee@midwesternnewspapers.com.
