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Cutting the Cord
By James M. Janik
Yes, I changed diapers, too. And wiped spittle. And ran behind that bicycle, holding the seat back, panting, all the while gently urging her on to independence.
Well today, it seems her independence is complete. She doesn't want me there anymore. She'd rather have her friends around to watch her kick a soccer ball. Only her friends.
I guess I should be happy. Certainly I am now forever free from the task of chauffeuring her to various events. That alone could enable me to enjoy some new hobby. Heaven knows how many trips I've made to parks, schools and camps these last few years ... trips she'll now make without me ... trips she'll make on her own with just her friends.
Yes, now I can do whatever I please while my daughter drives herself and her friends to her many sporting activities. I should be pleased. I should be relieved. I should be grateful. But I am none of those things.
After all the diapers, after all the nights standing crib-side until the sun streaked the eastern sky with hazy pinks, after all the soccer tournaments, it seems my daughter doesn't want me around anymore. She said so herself.
She's just 16. There's still college and a career and even a husband somewhere down the road. I guess she won't want my help for those, either. I suppose my fatherly job is done.
How come no one told me this parenting thing was only temporary?