Talk When You Can
I was in my home office drinking coffee when I heard the front door slam at 6:45am. I knew that it was Anna walking to the bus stop, and I put down my mug and took off after her.
There is major street construction going on in Lincoln, and that means that there are major detours going on. The city bus that usually stops just a half block from our house, now stops about six blocks from our house. The first time she met the bus on the detour, I walked with her and made sure that we had the detour schedule and route correctly and that she made it onto the bus in time to get to school. I discovered that six blocks is the perfect amount of time to spend with a teenager. So every morning I have been leaving with her and walking with her to the bus stop.
I didn't want to miss that time this morning.
"Hey!" I called, as I jogged across the street. She rolled her eyes a bit, but she did take the earbud headphones out and sure enough, a couple of strides into the next block she started talking - about her new friends at school, her classes, and the callbacks for the fall play. I waved goodbye when we got to her stop and I jogged back to the house thinking of all the things that I needed to do - breakfast and bathe and pack lunches for Mary and Frank - but I was very glad that I took the time to do something that I didn't need to do, but in some ways needed to do the most.
This window between child and adult is brief and painful for everyone. I think of her the way I last saw her this morning. Smiling at me over her shoulder and looking away. Putting her music back in her head. Getting on the bus and going away.
There is major street construction going on in Lincoln, and that means that there are major detours going on. The city bus that usually stops just a half block from our house, now stops about six blocks from our house. The first time she met the bus on the detour, I walked with her and made sure that we had the detour schedule and route correctly and that she made it onto the bus in time to get to school. I discovered that six blocks is the perfect amount of time to spend with a teenager. So every morning I have been leaving with her and walking with her to the bus stop.
I didn't want to miss that time this morning.
"Hey!" I called, as I jogged across the street. She rolled her eyes a bit, but she did take the earbud headphones out and sure enough, a couple of strides into the next block she started talking - about her new friends at school, her classes, and the callbacks for the fall play. I waved goodbye when we got to her stop and I jogged back to the house thinking of all the things that I needed to do - breakfast and bathe and pack lunches for Mary and Frank - but I was very glad that I took the time to do something that I didn't need to do, but in some ways needed to do the most.
This window between child and adult is brief and painful for everyone. I think of her the way I last saw her this morning. Smiling at me over her shoulder and looking away. Putting her music back in her head. Getting on the bus and going away.
posted by Lea at 5:49 AM
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