Yet another thought about time

For those interested and keeping score--Oz went well last night. We actually made it well into the second act before we had to stop and restart something. Tonight is the dress rehearsal, and I think we are in pretty good shape. I hear that the tech rehearsal went until nearly midnight.

This last weekend was an interesting one to mark the passing of time. Nicki--"the girl" of the family--brought home a male friend to meet dad. They had been up to Ludington to see their friend Dustin and on the way home Nicki, Mr. Marion ("that boy") and Maid Mariann (one of Nicki's roommates from Wheaton) stopped for dinner. I think there was an expectation that I was going to grill him and really drag him through the mud and, you know, make him dance naked in the middle of the street while flining flaming arrows tipped with hot burning oil at him. Apparently I was a disappointment because I, well, only had conversation with him. He's an adult. He's very fond of my daughter. And I can tell by the way she looks at him that she is very fond of him as well. That's enough for me.

Everett, the oldest son, was gone with his band all weekend. They played shows in Ludington and Alma and who knows where else. They had a great time and got to be involved in some significant times of ministry. They also had the requisite vehicle troubles that come with being an unsigned band of 20-somethings trying to make it on their own. Derek hit a deer with his van, and Everett's car wouldn't start so that they could come home on Sunday night. But they took care of it. No, really--they took care of it, making all the right calls and getting back safe and sound and acting like, well, adults. That was very cool, and it is nice to be able to sit back and look with pride upon good decisions being made.

Aaron, the youngest son and "killer Marine" is now apparently also involved in a relationship. I found out about it on Facebook. I found out that some of the teens here at church knew and were sworn to secrecy. I am forced to observe this relationship from afar with skant details and only the occasional picture on Facebook or MySpace or a sparse comment here or there in the same place upon which to obsess. He's a smart boy--he'll do well.

All of this goes with the passing of time, I know, but I was reading another friend's blog about his daughter learning to ride a bicycle, and it makes me realize that those days have passed and will never return. The same is true of today. This day will soon pass and will never return.

What shall we do about that?