New beginnings

That he stopped so we could take a photo is testimony to what a nice guy he is. After all, how many seventeen-year-olds good-naturedly indulge their parents in a "first-day-of-school" photo, however surreptitious?

Yeah, not many.

We didn't notice until just now that we caught him with his eyes closed.

'sure hope he doesn't look like that in trig this afternoon.

Celebrating Master M-mv

The regular season (3.03.2005)

Last night... (6.29.2005)

Guard (6.13.2006)

Four Five questions answered (5.17.2007)

From the archives: Mr. M-mv rose at 5 a.m. (7.21.2007)

Untitled (7.26.2007)

And, if you're interested, here are some thoughts on parenting and educating -- the journey from the starfish hands of a baby and toddler to the square jaw of a good young man and all of the smiles in between: It's that time again.

Added a little later
We're letting go of them from the moment they arrive, but today it felt a little all-at-once to me. A little "Wait! Stop! I want to get off!" A little like watching his back as he loped into the elementary school a little more than a decade ago.

Wait!

Stop!

Come back.

Come back.

It's fine. It's all right. We did well, it seems. He'll be great. Today the cicadas will hum, and the grackles will rob me (again!) of all our good seed. And my daughters will make art and make me laugh. Night will fall, and then tomorrow will be here.

And so it goes.

But, in focusing on the moment I'm in right this second, I realize that sometimes a job well done feels like a terrible loss.

An empty place.

An unheld hand.

Wait. Come back.

Go. Be well. Be good. Be kind. Work hard.

Come back.