The Child Thief

It’s happening tomorrow.  I’m losing him.  He innocently runs through the maze of the playground with barely a clue of what will happen to him tomorrow.  Every year it steals more children from parents than the boogeyman.  Few children will even reach the age of six without being taken away from their parents by this endless scourge on parent-child togetherness.

Tomorrow my G will be stolen away from me by the dreaded Big K.  Kindergarten is starting tomorrow and my life will never be the same.  Before tomorrow, there is togetherness.  After tomorrow, we will begin being pulled more apart.  I will only be able to have “Daddy Days” on summer vacation and some holidays.  On too few of those days will I be allowed to spend a whole day alone with my favorite guy.  I will be forced to share him far too often.  Up until now, very few weeks have passed without us having at least one Daddy Day.  Now, it will be very few weeks with a Daddy Day.  It’s the end of an era.  One that leads us inextricably apart. 

I know what is coming.  First I won’t be allowed to kiss him in public.  Then even the private kisses will go away.  No more cuddling on the couch.  Everything will be “Dad, not in front of my friends.”  Other children will even teach him to question the holy triumvirate of Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny, and the Tooth Fairy.  Then there will be girlfriends, graduation, college, marriage.  It’s not all bad.  There may be grandchildren as well.  Hopefully he will still live close enough to me for us to enjoy them.

So today, I will enjoy my last Daddy Day.  I will enjoy the snuggles and kisses.  We are going to have a great day.  Tonight, we will go to bed early in anticipation of the big day.  The day that marks the beginning of the end of little boyhood.

So forgive me if tomorrow, I seem a little down.  I might even wear black to signify my mourning.  I’ll take tissues to dry Mommy’s tears.  It is an exciting new beginning for him.  But for me, it marks the end of him being just Daddy’s and Mommy’s boy.  I will have to share him.  And in spite of what they will teach him at Kindergarten, nobody likes to share.