Same Stairs, Different Direction

At some point today, and I suspect sooner rather than later, my brother and his wife, Margaret, will bid Godspeed to the Remarkable Suz, as she begins her hegira to Houston, Texas, and starts the next chapter in her life, as they turn the page and begin the next chapter in theirs.

I don't throw 'remarkable' around lightly-I admit in this case, I am prejudiced as I know both Suz and her brother, Rob, who has become an expert on the lights of Cheyenne, and because my wife and I have the other pair in the set. My brother and I are bookends on a large family that ended up finding it easier to talk to strangers than to one another.

I don't know about Adam, or my other brother, Kelly, or my sisters, Evan, Kara or Jill, for that matter, but I ended up seeking out and marrying an ally in my war on the world. The love of my life looked past the beaten and broken parts and saw something, somewhere that made me more worthwhile to her than to myself. I have no idea, even after all these years, what the hell that could possibly be, but I hope it lasts whatever of our lives we still have together.

When Adam found Margaret, he learned to exhale. That may just be the root beer talking as I missed almost all of his growing up years but I don't think so. Suz and Rob were/are the most important part of Margaret's life and that she found a place in that space for Adam tells you how large her heart is. Right now and for some days to come, that heart will feel like it's breaking but it isn't really, but it's learning to beat differently.

On one of the afternoons I didn't skip classes at Parent University, I remember the lecture being about knowing the day a world changes as another story begins. Today is when that happens for Adam and Margaret and Suz, though of the three she is most hurried because it's her story that's of the greatest interests and she's so busy writing it it'll be a long time until she gets to read it.

For Margaret and Adam this is the day they realize they did all the things they needed to do for that young person in the room at the top of the stairs, reaching for the stars until she has them in her grasp and moves on to her next challenge. The pain of parting will be assuaged by the memories of the laughter and the love seasoned with the realization that those memories will continue to grow and when next they meet, for a holiday or just any day, it'll be like they never parted.

Having been where they are already with Rob, will not help them today-I speak from the experiences Sigrid and I have had and know that it's true. You realize you've done your best when your child is unafraid of the world we have made for them and eagerly embraces it and make it their own. They put away childish things, leaving us with tears of pride and joy.

-bill kenny