Years, Tears, and Tides... Part Four

I like new places and new faces, and I get a thrill out of meeting other writers whom I've become Facebook friends with. A couple of years ago, I had a story of mine, 'Daddy's Boy,' make it into an anthology called 'A Journey of Words.' It's a pretty good book, and every story is about a trip of some kind. 

      Since then, I take the book with me on almost every trip because there's always the possibility that I'll run into one of the authors from the book and they'll sign my book. I know I won't run into every author and there are a couple who I hope to never run into. Lol. This book binds us together, and I have a great appreciation for it. 

     After I bought my plane tickets, I contacted a writer, Rebecca Pierce, and told her I would be in Atlanta. We set up a meeting time and place, and I told Junebug that meeting Rebecca was the only thing on my itinerary other than us hanging out.

      Sweet Georgia's Jook Joint was the meeting place, and it was perfect. I met Rebecca, her husband (cool guy!), and her toddler. Live music, fried green tomatoes, fried chicken, a whiskey sour, and conversation with another writer. Priceless. And I got her autograph as well.

      I watched Rebecca's daughter being a toddler, and I was reminded of how fast time flies. It seems like only yesterday that I was changing Junebug's diaper, and she's now a grown woman, living her life. Sobering and humbling thought. To the parents reading this, enjoy every moment, because they're fleeting. The kids grow up and where we were once the center of their world, we're now on the periphery looking in.

      We hugged Rebecca and her family, and I look forward to seeing them again. Once back at the hotel, the 'Itis reared its head, and I was down for an hour or so. 

     I woke up in time for us to take advantage of Happy Hour again, and afterwards we out on our swimming stuff and got into the hot tub. We talked with a couple from Cincinnati and I never wanted to get out of the hot tub. Lol. I think I'm going to have to get me one.

     We went back to our room and Amari gave me a manicure and a pedicure. We talked, laughed, reminisced, and I promised her that it would never happen again that we would go so long without seeing each other.

      Last year I took my daughters to Cleveland and Niagara Falls, just the three of us. I'm planning next year's Daddy/daughters trip already. Time passes and we can't get back yesterday, but we can take advantage of today and tomorrow.

     Monday morning, I woke up late, forcing us to drive like bats out of hell to make it to the airport on time. The worst part of the trip was approaching and it couldn't be put off.

      We dropped off our rental car and we walked together for a few minutes. It was time though. I hugged my baby and I swear I didn't want to let her go. But we have to, right?

     When I walked away from my daughter, Amari Shanise Hayes aka Junebug, my allergies kicked in. My eyes watered and I sniffled a bit. Damned allergies. 

     I can't stop time, because like the tides, it just keeps on rolling. Years go by in the blink of an eye, and the best thing a person can do is to make lasting memories. I'm doing my best...