From her first day of school, to now, enjoying going to school to learn new things, she’d come, a long, long way here, hadn’t she??? Translated…
“Wah-Wah-Wah-I don’t want to go to school!” “I can’t see you anywhere, so I’d started, crying!”, still remembered the summers two years ago, with the sounds of the cicada calls, there wasn’t that serenity of walking in the woods, instead, your arms, that, clung on to my necks, slowly, choking me to death, with your heated up tears, was dad’s anxious heart, and what resonated into my ear canals, were the cries of lack of security.
As you’d finished eating out of the yellow bowl, daddy shall be here, to pick you up. That was the deal I’d, made with you, I’d not dared gone back on my promise, nor was I, willing to. I’d promised you, no naps, finished the foods from the yellow bowl, and I shall be here. The first week, I’d picked you up at noon, saw your eyes, all puffed up, like you’d, cried so hard. Just like dad, you’re always, strong, and kept to your words, and, as we’d, made a deal, that you won’t cry after a week, and even if, you’d, forced that smile, you’d, done it a well.
her first day looked something like this…not my photograph…
Every day I’d, washed the tri-colored bowl for you and Beanies, six iron bowls, six spoons, six bowl covers, they’d all, looked the same. Compared to how I’d just, scrubbed, with all my might in the past, I’d, felt a little something extra while, cleaning up, and I’d, started, thinking about, how you had, taken out the red-colored bowl? Did the yellow colored bowl have the vegetables you’d hated? Did you become, expectant, as you, opened up the green bowl? You’re, saying goodbye, to your, most innocent and naïve childhood years…
Once, you’d made the bookmark with the idiom, “Don’t put off until tomorrow what can be done today”, as we’d, discussed the idiom, I’d had you changed the characters. And today, you are, about to use the idiom in your life, finishing school in Luming Village.
Since the Luming Village, had documented your coming of age in the past two years, but, mom and dad are so sure, that we’d, both bore witness to how much you’d, grown up these past two years. But, mom and dad wanted more, to collect up your smiles, and confidence. Your mom had, made a ton of memory albums for you and Beans, completed with, countless smiles and laughter that you and Beans had, shared, we’d, set you up with the expectations, and when you’re older, you shall, finally, taste the sweetness of how far you’d come. Like how as we’d turned open the photo albums, we can still here your babyish voice reciting the poetry, and it was, as if, we’d heard, the wind, bringing us your laughter.
to this…photo still from online…
making friends!
Compared to how you’d first started school, with high anxiety, and worries, now, you’d, looked forward to school. Other than being at school too early to pick you up, you’d acted like you were, displeased, I’d even wanted to take leaves of absence from work, to take you and Beans out, but you’d, turned me down. After I’d asked you why, you’d found, that you’d written in the communications book daily, that if you’d taken too many days off, you will not be able to copy all the assignments in. As we’d heard you explain, other than laughing about it, we’d believed, that there was, no other sort of reactions from you. From the assignment books, we’d witnessed, that after you’d, started taking responsibilities for yourself, we knew, that you are, more than ready, to start in a brand new school, to graduate.
Just as we were, worrying, will you, start with that same helplessness you had from two years ago when you first started school, I see, that we’d, worried in excess!
And so, this, is marking the passage of your young child’s coming of age, she went from that kid that clung onto your legs, refusing to let go, into this well-rounded kid, who looked forward to school now, and it’s all, a process, of coming of age…
Life, the Obstacle Course 