No Woman, No Cry

My parents have been visiting for the last few days. They live in Indiana, 10.5 hr trip to Georgia to see me - or rather, to see their grandson. They are trying to see him every 2 months so that "he knows who they are."

My family has never been outwardly emotional and so it suprised me this morning when my mom started crying during our goodbyes. Since I left for college 12 years ago, I can't remember any other time my mom cried when we parted.

The bond between grandparents and grandchildren is one of strongest forces in existence. It makes me long for a time of intimacy with my parents, a time of innocence, before I moved to a state away from them, chose a major they questioned, came home drunk and used their bathroom instead of mine, pierced my ears, got a "skater" haircut, tried to runaway from home, talked back with my sassy mouth, ....

It makes me fear the days when my son and I will begin to not see "eye to eye."