The Not-So-Long and Winding Road

     A few minutes ago, I kisses all three of my children on the screen of my cell phone.  That's about the best I can do these days to see them all in one place.  Their roads take them all in different directions... daily, weekly, monthly and yearly.
    My oldest son, Ryan, has flown to South Dakota where he and his band, Kadesh, are doing a 2-week gig.  I missed him on his 23rd birthday, a day that always takes me back to those first few, new minutes with him in my arms.  Now, I fit under his shoulders when we hug.  When near and here, the 20 minutes away that he lives can seem far.
     My middle child, Christopher, has a route that takes him from east Orlando to Sanford to Eustis and wherever.  His college days, job and girlfriend keep him on the road a lot.  He will no longer be a teenager soon, becoming a big 2-0.  He would want to to say that I fit under his arms, too.
      My baby girl, Holly, is no longer a baby girl at 15, even though she does fit in my hold...not that she likes it.  She will be driving, however not alone, this beginning this summer.  But, her iTouch with FaceChat, the cell phone with texting, and the computer with her skills take her to her friends and family all over the country.  It is amazing how we can be virtually anywhere these days.  It's hard to use the line "because I know!" when in a blink of an eye, she can find out if I really do.  Pooey technology!
     My husband, Doug, travels all over the place these days, getting his fill of the hills, the heights, and the hindsight of the days gone by.  I can't keep up with him.  He can "drive' me crazy, yet I get to go along for the, sometimes, amazing rides.
     So, where did all the years go?  So many mileposts passed, so many destinations reached.  My kids are growing up and away.  I must face that fact.  The road is shorter than you think, oh, parents of little ones!  It races along that winding road until your hair is blown to heck and you're picking bugs out of your teeth.  Then, you turn around and no one is in the back seat anymore.
     Tonight, all of us, except one, will ride in the same vehicle to visit Grandma.  And I will turn around and say, "Are you buckled up?" It's my mom-given right.