I have been through some of these milestones and have a few more to go. My older daughter graduated high school (valedictorian) in 1998 and I had a hard time focusing the camera through the tears as she spoke to the assembled masses. The tears came from pride and loss as I realized she was approaching the time when she would walk on her own without needing me there. (Damn, I'm getting teary just thinking about it. Any more of those bandannas around?)

She has a group of close friends all of whom I consider my "other" daughters and sons. When that crew graduated I felt the same for each and every one.

Then came the following fall and I packed her off to college. It was a ten hour drive with a truck full of stuff but her mother delivered her and I got to stay homme and wander through the empty rooms and wonder what had happened.

I have another daughter in high school and in just under two years I get to do it all over again. I am not looking forward to it and yet I want to see her flying free.

College graduations will come along. And marriage. And children. And jobs. And heartbreak. And joy. And life will spin out through all the days of this Earth.

Life is sweet and it is the people in our lives that add to that sweetness.