BITTERSWEET ENLIGHTENMENT

BY DAN MILLER
(posted August 23, 2004)

If you watch me on TV today, you might detect a little melancholy in my face.
Here’s why.
Do you remember being in kindergarten?
I do.... and, for the life of me, it seems like yesterday when I was atteniding Miss Fowler’s Kindergarten down in Augusta.

And I vividly recall an ‘extra surprise’ when Santa Claus visited our classroom. Santa appeared to be wearing some sort of mask, not well secured to his chin... and under that mask Santa’s face looked exactly like Miss Fowler’s mother!

That, for me, was the beginning of a growing enlightenment.... a day of pondering things.
So is today.
My five-year old daughter... a true ‘later in life’ surprise and blessing... starts school today.
OK, it’s technically pre-first... but it’s one big step for her... and one giant leap for her Mom and Dad.

Goodness, it seems like just days ago when this little beauty spoke her first words.
She looked up at me and said... “Grandfather??”
(that’s a joke)

We’ve assured her she’ll be reading soon. She apparently believes us. She asked if she’d be able to read by the time she gets out of class today.

My wife, bless her heart, is dealing with this by trying to volunteer for anything they’ll let her do at school... Room Mom... crossing guard... cleaning up the lunchroom, anything.

My three other kids are no longer kids. They’re adults, out there in the grown-up world, dealing with grown-up things. And it all happened so fast.

So today, when I kiss my little 5 year old daughter goodbye, I’ll do it with a lump in my throat. I know.... here comes that bittersweet enlightenment.

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