Eight Days and Counting

Wow! Where have the last 22 1/2 years gone? Our first born will be married eight days from today. I've come to a point where I try not to have regrets, though I do look back and wish . . . I had slowed down to relish those special moments, I had stopped being "busy" to listen, stopped checking off those to-do list items to read one more story . . .

I am relishing this last week of her belonging to us. Now that all the "spreadsheet items" have been completed and the running around is done, and the assignments of duties on the big day have been made, I am stopping to enjoy the time. I have found myself alternately grinning and tearing up.

Eight more days, a little more than 192 hours, and then the rest of her life will begin.

When our daughter left for college I wrote an "editorial" piece about what I felt at the loss of her childhood the the loss to our nuclear familiy. This time I have intense joy and pride, hope and happiness for her future.

I don't know if the change in my attitude is due to a strengthening of or deepening of my faith or if it is that I am so confident and proud of her level-headedness, dogged determination to accomplish her goals, her strength of character and self-awareness. Perhaps a bit of both.

Anyway, we're counting down the days. I want to slow down time a bit to relish these last few moments, but I know I can't! But I sure am going to try!