A Difficult Day

I met him.  His car followed mine into the parking lot and I spotted him first in my rear view mirror.  He parked opposite of me.  When I got out, he was already standing just a few feet away and facing me.  I couldn’t help but smile.  I told him he looked good.  He was wearing business causal, I thought to myself; black khakis and a black and gold, long-sleeve, button up shirt, with a white tee underneath.  Later, he told me the button up was a gift from his grandmother.  “Of course,” I thought; it reminded me of his grandmother.  As we walked into the restaurant, I asked him if he knew what day it was.  The 11th, he said, knowingly.  Yes, the 11th, I thought, once again, as I had already reminded myself so often throughout the day.    

We sat down and he shared with me what we had not before today. I talked about his upcoming college graduation.  He talked about his goals for after college.  He spoke easily to his priorities and what he had identified as his goals now.  I was a bit surprised, I guess.  I remember graduating from college and it had seemed more like an ending to an achievement and not like the seemingly beginning that he was showing me.  I became happily excited for him.  “Way to go,” I thought to myself.  It could have been a sad day and for me, in many ways, it was.  For this young man, my second-born son, now age 22, it was a day full of hope and love.  How amazing is that?  I’m thinking about you being gone, Sam Motsay; you’re first day gone 7 years ago today.  Your brother is thinking there is so much to do today and every day ahead.  Wish you were here.