What We Leave....

I wrote this as last Friday was our oldest son's last day at his school.  He is off to new chapters, but I couldn't help but reflect on what his building meant to us.

I thought about this in great detail when the tornado hit Moore, Oklahoma.  I remember hearing that schools had been in the storms path.  My heart stopped, I clutched to the thought that there could be parents out there like my wife and I.  People who had all of their children in one building, a building that they themselves weren't in.  My heart goes out to all families who five days a week leave their hearts, to pursue that which needs pursuing.

Here it is:

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What we leave

For some this place is just like any other place,

a building, in a city, it could be anywhere.

But for us, for us this place, this place is something sacred.

Every time we come here, our lives are full-

Our car, our hearts, our entire life, full.

Everything that sustains us is here with us.

Until we make the long walk that is goodbye.

Goodbye for the moments from when we leave,

until we return.

In those moments the miracle of meaning is transcended.

We come with full hearts, and when we leave,

we drop off our children, we drop off our hearts.

Our car is empty, so too is our chest.

What once was a heart is now an endless knot of worry.

Are our children ok, are they safe, are they happy?

Could they be hurt, who will tend their wounds?

Are they hungry, thirsty, bored, it goes on, and it never ends.

When we come, we come with full hearts, we come with everything that means anything.

When we leave, we leave our children, we leave our hearts.

We surrender all control.

For me this place, is anything but just any other place.

This place marks the place we leave our hearts each morning,

only to pick them up later in the day.

Hoping and worrying that everything is ok,

while we are away.