The older I get the more I understand life. The older I get the less I realize I know all the answers. Yet when I look back at my childhood, I understood a big part of life then that sometimes I forget as an adult now – to love wholly.

“Let’s color for a minute,” Rory asks sweetly. It is early morning and Ryder has already declared the day “the best ever!” No doubt the Krispy Kreme doughnuts left over from my birthday influenced that declaration. I pause to color a three by three sheet of paper. Satisfied, Rory skips off with her crayons. I look back to the screen to complete my request for an exit interview at the end of the month. My time at my job of eight years is coming to an end. The emotions are running high and mixed. This decision was mine. After much thought and prayer, it is time to go. In a sentence – the kids need me.

The line is set. The distance between is precise. The inevitable push is lurking. Click, click, click, click, the porcelain rectangle hits the next, and the next, and the next. All the preparation has paid off. The line moved in tandem with my expectations. Click, click, click, one fell after the other as if passing a baton from one dedicated runner to the next.