Life changes

milestones every year. 

I mentioned before that my oldest daughter started college this week. My son begins his senior year of high school and the triplets started kindergarten as well. Even though we've experienced the same with the older kids, it's new again with the girls starting school. It's emotional it's exciting particularly when they are just as excited and eager to be in a new place with new faces. I am quite sure that they are also sick of looking at us everyday; with our barking as to what they can't do, pick up toys, put away their clothes, get in the shower and on and on.
Another thing that never changes is the rude parents who park their cars wherever they feel like, even when they are blocking traffic or when there is a spot available in parking lot. They must park the behemoths right at the gate and wait and wait. I'm a 100% sure I'm not the only parent that feels this way.
I don't sweat it much though, it's like brown spots on bananas, they will happen.
Besides school today for the girls, they also have extra curricular activities, ballet and gymnastics. So Mondays are going to be very hectic.
The rest of the week goes back to normal with my wife back to work (she took a few days off from work). We are also going camping this weekend. It will be the first time for the girls to "sleep" outdoors. This should be a good trip since the weather is quickly changing and is cooler in monies and at nights. Thank goodness this heat is over.

Past and Present

I took the black and white picture at PCC - Pasadena City College sometime back in 1990 while taking a photography class. This was a picture amongst many others I took during that course. At this time in my life I was living in South Pasadena, CA. The girl in picture just happened to be at what I considered to be a great spot with the sun at her back and side on the West and the metal school sign. I asked her permission to take her picture while she was reading just as she was when I approached her.

26 years later while driving around Southern California with my daughter Olivia; I decided to give her a tour of my old school where I obtained an Associate of Arts degree prior to moving on to college. Of course the school is much more modern all around with many new buildings. The old buildings are still there though and will be there many years after.

As we were walking by this building, I remembered the picture I snapped many years before so I asked my daughter to sit and tried to recreate the same shot.

The results this time were immediate with a smartphone. I could retak the shot until I was happy with result. 26 years before I had to shoot entire film, develop it and wait for results. I made two prints of the original shot one on black and white and a sepia.

Here is the shot with my daughter.

Since the original focus of the shot was the girl with the sign next to her, as I remember it, I got closer to Olivia and snapped a second picture.

Since my intent is to show the Past and Present, I put the two pictures together for comparison.

New Lives

And just like that, she's gone.

It happens to every family with children and some are lucky that their children don't move away too far just to keep an eye on them from time to time. But, when your child goes away to college, it hurts. My oldest daughter left yesterday morning to begin her New Life away from the only home she known for the last 18 years and nothing will ever be the same. Not for my wife, for my son, who will also start college next year and not for my youngest children (Triplets) who will also start kinder in a couple of days.

Our last life changing event was when the Triplets were born. Prior to that it was just coasting with two teenagers who were very independent and that gave my wife and I more time to each other. Then the Triplets came.

I am of the belief that we all live different lives during our mortal lives and that through each stage we come to meet different people and as we transition from each one, we have to learn to let go of the previous one, though there is always a constant and that's our immediate family circle. This stage will stay with you 'till death. That gives me hope that even though my daughter is now gone to discover herself and branch out into her own life, that I will remain a constant in hers. I am hopeful but also realize that to every rule there is an exception. 

Her leaving also prepares us for my son's departure next year, even though he says, he'll never leave. (We're in trouble) At the same time, it gives us a glimpse into our future with the Triplets, triple the love and the drama.

Last week, I had an opportunity to take my daughter to Los Angeles for a trip down memory lane (details will be in a different post). This trip was intended to give her a closer look as to where her dad came from and how his life in the United States began, as if given birth to, stepping out of the trunk of a car and into his new life. The intent of the trip was to show her that our lives evolve in ways that we control up to a certain point, then whether your life is already written in a book by a mighty being or left to chance, you have to make the best with each situation that you find yourself in.

I can't deny that I'm happy about her choice to leave town for a college experience but also sad that she won't be in the house, or her bedroom when I get home from work. 

Just like that, she's gone, and we will get used to our new lives.