Jay, who has lived in the Waukesha area for nearly 20 years, is an active volunteer who serves on numerous local boards and committees. He’s married to Colleen with three kids having gone through the Waukesha schools. He is the VP of a local distribution company and currently serves on several area Boards.
Summer is right around the corner. The fishing boat just received a new fish locator which guarantees success on the water (and below it). And, while looking forward to the upcoming months, I also have to recognize this year as a “biggie” in our parenting: Our two daughters are graduating!
Kelly, the oldest, graduated from the business school at UW La Crosse, moved back home for a day, and left for a 3½ week back-pack tour of Europe. This will be followed by job interviews and her eventual (sooner rather than later?) embarking on a career in marketing and public relations.
Caitlin, the youngest in our clan, will be graduating from Waukesha North in a few short weeks. She started in a new job this past week, and restaurant hostessing appears to be a good fit for her and the dining establishment. Her summer will culminate in her moving to dorm life at UW La Crosse and applying her time to class and studies (OK… – Include some social activities as well).
The cumulative effect on me has been somewhat unsettling. My wife and I feel it was just “a couple months ago” that these girls started high school and college, and now they are both graduating 4 years later! We both remember having dinner with a very good business friend and his wife in La Crosse and asking them to act as surrogate parents “in case our daughter needs immediate assistance”. The memories of saying “goodbye” to Kelly that late summer night in 2003, 4 years ago, and driving home from La Crosse, lost in our own thoughts, seem as clear as if they happened last month.
Watching “Little Caitlin” go off to high school was a reality check for us. Caitlin truly enjoyed the “High School Experience” (she learned from her older brother and sister) and maximized everything the Waukesha District has to offer: Full, challenging class loads; loads of interesting extracurriculars; marching band trips; new friendships; and now a “Summer of Fun” before she heads out. Why, her marching band New York Macy’s trip – a very memorable trip, was way back in 2004 !
This year is indeed a “biggie” in my life as a parent. And yes, as most parents will tell you, these years do fly by. Certainly there is no reason to suspect the next 4 years won’t be different and all 3 kids will be out of college. “Empty Nesting” is imminent…It all seemed to happen in the blink of an eye.
Maybe, lurking just beneath the surface (similar to the fish taunting me at Okauchee?) of my sub-consciousness, there is a sense of the unknown awaiting us as parents and as a married couple. The kids are doing well, progressing, and their dependency on us will (should) wane. Maybe the “dreaded unknown” is really not so much concern for our children anymore as it is an acceptance that time is quickly accelerating by...
OK – Too much introspection for today. Time to go fishing!
