1. The years are short

2. Once upon a time, but not very long ago, my daughter was too little to walk to school, so we rode the city bus.

3. Each morning, I tugged her along the side walk to the bus stop.
While she stared in ecstatic wonder at the
treasures in the drugstore window.
Each morning ,I gazed impatiently down my home.

4. I didn’t particularly mind riding the bus,
but I viewed a day
off as a great treat.
I ’d think with a
ping of relief,
“phew , no bus
ride today”.

5. Until one morning

6. “look daddy
look! A dog!”
She exclaimed, as she pointed our the window at an ordinary dog on a leash.

7. Then suddenly it hit me. this bus ride was it.

8. This was parenthood, this was the childhood
of my darling girl, this was life itself.

9. One day –and that day probably wasn’t
too for away we’d no longer be riding the
bus together. and I was frittering this time away.

10. From then on, every morning, I thought,
“Thank goodness, another day to ride the bus.”

11. Now my little girl is bigger and we walk the ten blocks to school,
she still holds my hand, but I know this too will probably end soon.

12. Do you remember when we used to ride the
bus to school” I asked her the other day.

13. “ I remember ,” she said
“ I loved that bus ride”
“so did I,” I answered.

14. The day are long, but the years are short.