when my girl was little,
she used to cry when that song would play.

yesterday,
i cried in the airport parking lot...
not even cried...i sobbed...
loudly
and somewhat out of control
after dropping my girl off at our tiny little island airport
so she could board a big plane
and fly off to toronto.

alone.
by herself.
first time big adventure.
for two whole weeks.

when it was time to say goodbye
i couldn't speak.
my throat closed over, if i tried to talk
it would have come out as a howl of
please don't go...just stay here...we can have fun...
i'll buy you ice cream!

but i knew that she had to go...
i knew that she was ready, i knew that i was over reacting
i knew that people go on vacations every day,
they take train, planes and automobiles.
they have fun, they learn about new places,
they learn about themselves.

they come back.
they come back.

she'll come back.

but my heart still hurts.
being a parent is hard.