Page 16 - chs-1996

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So th~ tim~ has com~ for ~ach of us to
cross that sta9~ and in our pu'1'1~-rob~ 9lory
r"tiv~ th~ ctt'Uficau that symboliz~s th~ md of
much stru991~ and many 9ri~vanc~s. As w~ cross
that woodm ftoor and radiau our joy across th~
fittd, our ~xciummt will b~ hard to contain. Our
minds won't b~ on all th~ oth« sta9~s that hav~
b~ a part of our liv~s ov« th~ y~ars, but th~
stadium will b~ fill~ with uary-~y~ lov~d on~s
whos~ h~arts can n~v« for9~t-
1hink about it. No mor~ plastic tabl"loths
stain~ \1/ith spa9h~tti sauc~. No mor~ crayons
mttW in th~ back window of th~ car--or missin9
socks und« th~ front s~at. No mor~ wrmch~s or
hamm«S 9on~ from th~ 9ara9~--9rowin9 rust
so m~wh«~ in th~ yard, waitin9 patimtly for th~
lawn mow«. No mor~ PIO mutin9s for th~m to
attmd, or softbalL football, or socc« 9am~s .......
No car pools, no blatin9 st«w. lma9in~ thtir car
k~ys, thtir n~w shirts, thtir razor blad~s, just
wh«~ th~y l~ft th~m, a car that still has th~ 9as
th~y put in it,a lipstick that still has th~ point on
it, a cak~ \1/ith no fin9« trac~ in th~ icin9, an hors
d'oruvr~s tray \1/ith all th~ strawbmi~ still on it ......
ih~y will r~m~mb« all th~~ sta9~ that you
hav~ b~ throu9h as th~y watch you cross this
final on~. 1h~y11 think about it and rtaliz~ what it
m~ans. No mor~ tooth fairy or 9i99lin9 in th~ dark.
No skinn~ knus to kiss and h~al. No mor~ w~t
doubl~ knotW sho~ strin9s to unti~. No mor~
r~sponsibility. Only a voic~ cryin9 in an ~mpty
hous~, "VVny don't you 9row up? "' And th~ silmc~
"hoin9 back, 1'1 w~ did,N

Laura Collins

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