Tonight I attended Open House at Bethany’s high school. I always enjoy these things, and it’s good to meet the teachers. Bethany goes to a great high school, and nearly every teacher she has is obviously in love with teaching and devoted to the kids.

As I walked the halls with the other parents, prodded along helpfully by student volunteers, it occurred to me that, for our society, people in my age bracket are basically done. Our culture worships youth: young, healthy, in shape, beautiful youth. Our celebrities are either young or they are surgically nipped and tucked (and injected and stretched and suctioned) to look young. Our athletes are young. Our artists and musicians are young. Even our President is young, as Presidents go (though he still has a few years on me). I, on the other hand, have crossed the line where I now work out to feel better, rather than to look better. Looking better became an impossibility quite awhile ago. But twenty minutes on an elliptical at level five makes me feel slightly more alive, provided it doesn’t kill me.

So there we were, we middle agers, moving like the lumpen masses we are through the halls of this enormous, modern high school, squinting at the impossibly small print on the school map as we huffed our way to third period.

And the thought hit me: not done. I’m a parent. Jill and I have been parenting now for twenty years, and we’ve got, well, we don’t know how many years left. Technically, in theory, eight more until all the kids are out of the house, four years after that until the last one’s done with college, and, presumably, there will be some weddings sprinkled in there as well, and a grandchild or two or a dozen. But, as the movie Parenthood so wisely put it, you’re never really done. You never cross the goal line and spike the ball. Parenthood is like your Aunt Edna’s [backside]: it goes on forever and it’s twice as frightening.

This is the task. This is the great Odyssey Jill and I are on, and we drive an Odyssey to prove it. We’re in the thick of things, and time will tell how well we did. Time will display our diligence, and it will expose our sloth and passivity, wreathed in regret, should we fail as parents. We’ve either trained up our children in the way they should go, and prepared them for life, or we haven’t. Lord have mercy.

On a side note, I believe firmly that a real man rejects passivity (that’s from Robert Lewis’ Raising a Modern Day Knight – a good study). But I’ve found that passivity is a puzzle. I have large regrets over times I was passive in my children’s lives when I should have been active – I should have seen the storms coming and done . . . something. But I also know that I have a tendency to go off half-cocked and three sheets to the wind as well. After all, being a parent is an exercise in the art of letting go. There comes a time when, as a parent, you’re sidelined and you just get to watch the game, however it goes. The trick is knowing when. Go Team.

Here’s where I’m supposed to insert the obligatory “parenting is hard” statement, along with a lament about “how time flies” and “where did the years go”. Well, fie on that (I’ve been wanting to work “fie” into my conversation recently). Parenting is what it is. It is what God has made it, and parenting plays its role in Christ’s work of grace in salvaging lives and societies in our fallen world. By golly, there’s no sense in either bemoaning it when times are bad or getting complacent when times are good (as they are now, by the way). Because the times will change. This isn’t a job for cowards. It’s also not a job for those with too much bravado. We are dependent.

Parenting is the most important thing I’ve ever done, and probably will ever do. Compared to being a dad, my day job fades to insignificance (other than, of course, as a means to the end of feeding my family). And I’m not done yet. As the kids grow up and I (surprise!) get older, new enemies join the battle, namely the enemies of “boy, am I tired” and “ow, my back hurts”. But all the more reason to strap on the old armor and slog up the hill again. Battles do, after all, have their element of fun, and I have a goal to be old and crotchety, yet hale. We’ll see.

Did I mention that I went to Open House tonight?

A quick list:

Andrew turned twenty yesterday. Yes. Twenty.

We got to see both Andrew and Molly this weekend. Awesome. We’re celebrating Andrew’s birthday tonight.

Bethany won the part of Olga in Stage Door. Not only will she be acting, but she’ll be playing the piano. Great part.

The Dallas Texans – Houston Division U12 Red team (Blake’s team) dominated at the tournament this weekend. They won their four games, 4-1, 4-0, 2-1, and 2-1 against some tough Dallas Texans – Dallas Division competition. They looked fabulous.

We’re blessed.

Molly’s settled at UMHB and appears to be enjoying herself and making new friends. Yesterday, we hugged Andrew and he got in his car and drove himself up to Baylor to begin his sophomore year. Tomorrow they will start classes, as will Bethany, who is now a Junior in high school, and Blake, who is – I can hardly believe it – going into junior high.

God has been very good to us.

Bethany and I spent two hours today at the local DMV, trying in vain to get her learner’s permit. We left close to five, as she had to get to work. We were no where near even getting in the final line to the computer test.

I’ll vote for any politician who promises to privatize the DMV.

We are in Molly’s dorm, doing last minute things. We’re about to leave.

I love you, Molly, my precious daughter. I already miss you.

God speed.

Since yesterday I’ve been experiencing something rare: a week-long vacation at home. Man, I could do this full time (although, of course, I really, really enjoy having a job too!).

It started on Saturday; we went to San Antonio to hold an Oscar-tinged family birthday party for Bethany at my parent’s house. This included a red carpet entrance, then Beth was whisked away for hair and makeup by the girls. She was escorted into the festivities by Blake (in a little tux – ha), to hear a hilarious “lifetime achievement” speech written by eldest son and delivered by aunt Kim and cousin Macy. Following this, we showed her sixteen-year DVD, which Jill and I had worked on diligently into the late hours last week (we produce a DVD for each of my parent’s grandkids on their sixteenth birthday. I think this one came out pretty well!). This was followed by an Oscar-like awards ceremony, in which Bethany won every award (and gave an extremely believable and funny acceptance speech). We ended up with cake and cupcakes, baked lovingly and expertly by Molly, and then the opening of presents. All in all it was a great night. We came back here Sunday evening.

Since then, we’ve been working hard at taking care of lots of last minute details in preparation of taking Molly and Andrew to college this week.

Andrew had his wisdom teeth taken out yesterday too.

So lots of stuff has been happening. Here’s what’s not been happening: I haven’t been thinking about work or monitoring work emails at all. They know how to find me if they need me.

Here’s to another day!