Slice of Life: The Kid Goes Flying By

I can’t quite believe that our youngest son is a high school senior, with college on the horizon and just a few more months in our city’s school system.

Sometimes, the transitions in our lives ahead become crystal clear.

Yesterday, I drove more than three hours into New York City to reach the New York Armory to see him run for less than a minute with his high school indoor track relay team at the Nike Indoor Nationals.

It seems absurd when you consider the hours of travel versus the time of running like that, and I could have watched the webcast from the comfort of home, but it was important to me, and to him, that I make the drive, to send him encouragement from the stands, to be there to support him.

In his pink shoes, at the sound of the starting gun, he was flying, going so fast from starting line to the baton handoff with his teammate that he was nearly a blur from the stands, disappearing as I tried to capture the moment on my phone while shouting encouragement.

Everything becomes metaphor at some point, doesn’t it?

Driving back home later that night (he is staying in the city with teammates, to cheer on another crew of runners who will compete today), I was complaining to myself in the car about the long drive (it was raining) but then reminding myself: hold on to these kinds of moments because they won’t be available much longer.

Peace (in the Time Passing),
Kevin

PS — his Speed Medley Relay (SMR) team came in 7th place, out of 30 teams.

8 Comments
  1. I am at the same stage in my life with a senior. I’m trying to savor every moment. I love this line- Sometimes, the transitions in our lives ahead become crystal clear. I’m not sure I took full advantage of this with my older, but realizing how different it is when they move away, I pay more attention to it now with the next one. Mom of runners- Pros and cons of the less than a minute!

    • I thought of a post Tracey shared earlier this month about a similar experience savoring these moments. I’m sure it meant a lot to your son that you were there.

  2. There’s so much about this post that I love. The lines Tracey captured, that you wanted to be there and he wanted you there. That his team did well. His pink shoes and the blurry metaphorical picture.

    My youngest daughter of 4 is 20. Now I savor the time when one of them is home or better yet, when we are all together. Different times, different moments.

  3. Your post is clearly a reminder that the days and trips are long but the years fly by…like your son…on the wings of time.

  4. How right you are. Our children’s childhoods seem to fly by. My son is also a runner and I try not to miss a single event because I know how much I’m going to miss it when he graduates in two years.

  5. Ahhh…the moments. I’m so glad you took the time and the long drive to savor those seconds. Mine have been flown for a while now, but those days of driving and cheering and just being there remain with me. Enjoy these last moments of child parenting.

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