8-5, A Freshman? Really?!

Here we go again for round 2.  How can my baby boy possibly be starting high school in 3 days?!  The baby that cried every time Grandpa G. walked in the door wearing a hat (we were at least relieved when we realized it was the hat that freaked him out and not actually Grandpa!).  The toddler who helped grandpa 'plant apples' in the garden (i.e., potatoes, but he insisted they were apples).  The nap-resistor who jumped out of his bed and broke his arm when he was only 2.  The little boy who cried when he got mud on his face even though Uncle Thad tried to convince him that 'mud on your face is cool' and Uncle Thad even smeared some on for effect.  The sneaker who found Grandma G's stash of jelly beans in her sewing room and managed to eat his way through a good portion of them before being found.  The kindergartener who chased me halfway home crying after starting his third school in less than a year.  Oh, the memories you retain as a parent.   One of my most vivid memories was being pregnant with Nikolas on 9/11.  I remember how frightened I was to bring a child into what this crazy world has become.  I thought that I would outgrow that fear as our child grew. But you know, I don't think I have.  As Nikolas enters his last four years of school, I worry about what his future holds in this still crazy world.  Kids Nik's age have seen the world's scariness in the headlines news on a daily basis.  It's sad to think that the words "terrorist"and "suicide bomber" are a part of everyday vocabulary.  These kids have to be resilient, strong-minded and aware.   I feel that they are growing up so much faster than we did.  The competition is fierce and it takes determination to out-know, out-skill and out-think this wickedly smart generation.  No, I do not worry less about this child's future.  As my post yesterday vividly declared:  4 years will pass in the blink of an eye.  But for now, I will ride the tides of confidence that these high schoolers have and trust that everything will be ok.  It's been 14 years and I'm still looking for that darn parenting manual!  Good luck, Nik.  I know you will never enjoy school as much as you enjoy fishing, but someday I hope you'll recognize the importance of work and play!