Bon Fires and Family

The holidays have come to an end. As always it is a bittersweet conclusion. My children have packed up and gone back to their lives.... being full time working parents --far away, being a full time grad student -- again far away, and off to basic training --so very far away. I tend to ponder (with my cup of coffee nearby) quite often about my children and grandchildren, about their lives and the choices they have made. I see my daughter trying to balance being a wife, mother and working professional and wish that I was closer so that I could ease that burden, but as I look from far away, I realize that I have given her the skills to successfully manage these roles. She is doing an admirable job. I see my son struggling to find his path in life, then I realize we all have to find our paths in our own time. He focuses on his studies, wants to make the world a better, greener, more sustainable place to live for all peoples. My baby, rudely thrust into manhood by his father's premature passing, trying to be like his dad, do what his dad did- make the world a safer place. Soldiers have a big burden, I am proud that my son is willing to take on this burden - for his family, his home, his country. So, I sit ( with that perpetual cup of coffee), and smile. I look forward to the gathering of my children and the Christmas Eve Bon Fires of the future.