I was looking through my journals again today, perhaps with the image of the two neighbor children standing proudly to have their pictures taken before their first day of school.  In the journal for Monday, March 12, 1990, I found a verse I wrote after Margaret and I saw David off to his first day of work at Scripps Clinic in San Diego.  He had finished his PhD work and was off to begin his post-doc assignment.  I remember the day as if it were yesterday.  

First Day

He came down to breakfast this morning

dressed for his first day at the clinic

and his Mother and I looked him over

the way we must have done on a dozen other first days

We approved his choice of shirt and trousers

then sent him out into the world once more,

this time as Dr. Miles, biologist and research scientist.

Parenting is interesting work when you can get it.