Having Someone to Love

"A true friend never gets in your way unless you happen to be going down." ~Arnold H. Glasow

Parenting, my personal children and all those I am allowed to borrow, is the greatest joy of my life. It has also led to the most fearful moments of my life. Several of those moments are the times I have feared loosing a child. Those seconds when a toddler hides in a clothing rack, the times they leave your sight, the unanswered phone calls. This fear cannot be completely understood unless you have been a parent. There is a connection, a bond . . . a need, that is so complete, so intense that even the thought of severing the parent-child tie is unbearable.

A few months ago, my eldest child, Unit One, spent the night with a friend. When planning for this outing, she and I agreed upon a time when I would pick her up the next morning. I spoke to the host parent, and I wrote down her telephone number. The next day, I went to collect Unit One. The address was not correct. I called the phone number; it had been disconnected. I was frantic; no, I was crazed. After dozens of phone calls, we tracked her down. Who found her? Not the police, not the FBI, not another parent . . . it was one of my Academy Kids.

One of my Academy girls and I were discussing a parent’s need to protect a child. I fell into my, now practiced and polished, speech explaining how easy it is for a girl to be pushed into a car only to have whatever done to her wherever and without anyone knowing about it. She called me her Dad Number Two. She had to listen to tell her, once again, that she has no idea how much we lover her and why we are so protective.

Late last night, I received a message from another of my girls. She explained that she had been contacted by the father of one of our group, and he could not locate her (it turned out that she was right where she was supposed to be). As I went through the range of fear and relief (thank you dear one for indulging a wild woman and giving me a call), it occurred to me just how important this little pixie was in my life and how lucky she was to have so many people who adore her.

Thanks to all of the incredible creatures who care and love for one another day after day. You have no idea how wonderful you are.

"If you could only sense how important you are to the lives of those you meet; how important you can be to the people you may never even dream of. There is something of yourself that you leave at every meeting with another person."

— Fred Rogers