I Found His Blankie

Before Jake was even out the door I decided that the room he was leaving behind needed to be cleaned up.

It was pretty much an exercise in folding clothes that he'd left on the floor of his closet...

...clothes that he hasn't worn in years, but ones that my beautiful wife wants to hang onto because...who the hell knows why...

...in case we have another child, I guess.

Anywhoha...

I just got everything out of the closet and began to fold.

And I found the blankie.

The same one that we chased all around town because he couldn't go to sleep unless he had it in his hands.

"We left the blanket at your parents," was a horrendous thing to hear because I was going back to get it.

No question!

Jake was a tough kid. He was sick early on and he just didn't put up with any crap. It was his way and if you tried to battle him, he'd go at you even harder.

I started to think about the evening when he went off, and Kathy begged me to let him burn himself out. We heard him banging around his room, and eventually I went to check.

Every single thing he owned was in a pile I. The center of his room and he was still piling it up.

"He all right?" Kathy asked when I returned.

"He's like Keith Moon in there. I'm hoping he doesn't have any matches."

I folded the blankie and put it in the top of his closet.

He's off to college.

"Try and behave," I said. "You remember all we taught you, right?"

"I don't remember what we had for dinner," he said.

His room is cleaner now, but weird night.

Was just moments ago.

Every parent feels it.

I'm proud of my boys...

...they've grown to be fine young adults...

...a little wise-ass...

...but they get that from their mother.

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