Make A Difference To One

By Chuck (Sharing Compassion)

Allow me an off week here. I love the fall season, it is my favorite. It is a time of change. For a long time it represented a new beginning for me. Growing up there was always a new school year to look forward to. After I had a daughter it was her new school year each fall. School Orientations, PTA meetings....always something new. There was something about the leaves changing, the crisp cool weather, the smell of wood burning. All of these things reminded me of new beginnings. A little backward I guess...most people look at Spring as a time of renewal. This year is the biggest change of all. My daughter has left for college and is now living away from home.

For the past eighteen years we shared every weekend together. I mean we did all kinds of stuff. Weekends were our special time. Her mom and I separated in 1998 and I had custody for the weekends. That time was special. Even in high school when we adjusted the schedule so she could have social activities we still had great weekends. Even after I remarried and got a wonderful step-daughter we still had those special weekends. There were many times that we were doing our own separate things but it was still special just being together. Now all of a sudden she is gone.