Yesterday, today, tomorrow

I remember when they were born. I was there. Yesterday was the 17th birthday of one, and last night I helped address the other’s high school graduation announcements. Not to sound like my parents, but where did the time go? Yesterday they were babies. They were shining eyes, imagination, and questions without end. They were eager and curious and their lives were known and guided and protected by us. Without resistance. Today, theirs is an age that is fearless, all-knowing, invincible as they into their futures. I remember being their age, I remember not having a care in the world, which transfers today into not having a clue. When looking at it from here, it’s an age that causes terror in my heart. They are vulnerable to the hazards, the challenges, and the temptations. They are vulnerable to what they do not know. They’ve survived quite a bit already but have they pulled the wisdom from their educations? I know the answer for both of them, and the answer is quite different. One embraces the world, one resists it. One tries, the other complains. One plays by the rules, the other argues the rules. One takes responsibility, the other shrugs. One is willing to work, the other searches for the shortcuts. They are both living a life from the same hardships and the same opportunities. They are both the results of their choices. I have no doubt in my heart that one of them is facing a bright future. I have no doubt in my heart that one of them can still have a bright future. But the fact is that the future is planted in the present. And in the present, well, it’s not very bright for that one.