Hey Dad,

It's a beautiful, spring morning here in Northern Indiana. The sun is shining, the temperature is well below freezing, and there is a winter storm warning for the next two days. Perfect weather for finishing up the last-minute details before we hit the road next Wednesday—not!

Actually, I feel a little overwhelmed and discouraged. I'm having a taillight issue on the RV, which I hadn't anticipated, my grandmother will be going to heaven soon, and … did I mention the winter storm thing?

Here's the real kicker: time is passing at lightning speed, and I don't like it. Just yesterday, my wife was talking to an old high school friend who mentioned that her daughter would be going to college in the fall, and she was saddened by the thought that she was leaving.

When my wife relayed their conversation to me, I was taken back in time to a restaurant table filled with a bunch of young couples that were entertained by a little girl in a highchair who could say, "Bubbles."

Now the restaurant is gone, some of the couples are no longer couples, and the little bubble girl will be going to college in the fall … and I've got a lump in my throat.

That's the thing about time. It sneaks up on you and changes things before you notice or can do anything about it. It takes little girls and boys and turns them into men and women. It takes fried-chicken-making grandmothers and confines them to wheelchairs unable to communicate … eventually transforming them into fond memories.

Time's doing "it" right now. My little daughter who begs her very busy father to play Candyland will quit asking one day. And about the time I'm starting to have time … she won't be there.

Drat that dastardly time!!

But my "drats" won't change things. My only recourse is to enjoy my family, the cold weather, and a game of Candlyland today … because the bubble girl is going to college in the fall.

So my fellow dad, I know you're busy, but let me encourage you to enjoy your family today—and remember the bubble girl.

You 'da Dad,

© 2008 Todd Wilson. Used by permission.

[03/20/2008]

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