the Glocal Trekker Blog

Wednesday night, our daughter Jill came home and told us, "Well, this is the last supper I’ll be home as a high school student." She was grinning ear to ear--excited to get out on her own. My heart ached inside knowing my life would never again be the same. My daughter is graduating and will be leaving home. She’s a class act! I don’t feel old enough to have an empty nest, but I do.

The next morning as I’m watering the plants outside she walks out. She has to go take a final and will be back in an hour. I realize this is the last morning she goes to school. I walk over to her, put my arms around her and pray for her. She left--and I wept. I have loved being a Father. I’m going to have to learn to be a different kind of Father.

I went back in the house, did my stuff and then headed outside to run. As I ran, I thought about Jill, my life, and everything going on. As I got near the house, about an hour later, a car passed me and honked and then pulled in our driveway. It was Jill. It was like God was saying to me, "She’s not gone. She’ll always be a part." I sure hope so.

Father, you’ve given me 3 awesome winners. May they find an awesome Father in me as they progress in life. Help me define "fatherhood" at this stage.