A Fool and his Words are Soon Parted

Just like that… January 14, 2012

We sat down at lunch, as we have at various times over the past five weeks, and he carefully managed the potential disaster-in-the-making known as a Qdoba Chicken Queso Burrito (with Tortilla Soup poured onto the rice). As he somehow avoided spilling a single grain of rice, we laughed at the little children around us (both of us tend to be magnets for kids, as we happily engage them in goofy faces and childish play), and we talked.

We discussed a wide range of topics. Last night, while shopping, we’d discussed the design of intake systems for performance cars (the merits of hood scoops versus cold-air intakes). Today we talked of Facebook, parent-child relationships, and sexuality. In other words, just another typical conversation with one of my sons.

In the middle of his junior year of college and with his older brother married and living 90 miles East of us, you would think that I would be accustomed to my younger son being four hours-away. You would think that him being home for several weeks over the Christmas break wouldn’t create an intense sense of loss as I watched him drive away today. You would think I’d have seen this coming.

You would be wrong.

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