Watching the Girls (and Boys) Walk By

As part of my work, I have the interesting assignment of distributing surveys at the school registration days in three area communities.  It's been years since I had the occasion to attend such an event and I found my first foray fascinating.  As the school doors opened, in streamed a flood of parents with children of all ages in tow.  With their heads down, concentrating on the papers in their hands, they darted back and forth in front of me, looking up to make sure that their children were still in close proximity.  As I people watched, I observed how loving and caring parents are and how different their roles are than they were so many years ago when I was a child.  For as many mothers who were hugging, coddling and entertaining their youngest children, there were fathers doing it, too.  For as many moms who were concerned that hair was combed, shirt collars weren't askew and that smiles were in place for school photos, so were the dads.  I loved watching the darling girls and boys walk by and I loved watching the active role of parents and grandparents in the big event of school registration.  While I accomplished the task of getting a large volume of surveys completed, I had the equal pleasure of seeing today's families experiencing the rite of passage into a new school year.