A Ghost of Your Children’s Future

There are moments we live that remind us just how very quickly time lets itself pass us by. Moments where we wish we could reach out and pull against the unbending second hand to slow its persistent sweep around the clock.

I was rocking my daughter to sleep last night, and I was struck with a realization. My son is now seven, and I don’t remember the final time that I rocked him to sleep. That final time passed by unnoticed.

Too many final times pass by unnoticed.

I think often of who I am as a father and what that means to my children. The quote below speaks a truth about the reality of time and relationships and parenthood that my mind just can’t let itself fully comprehend.

“Once you’re a parent, you’re the ghost of your children’s future. We’re just here to be memories for our kids.” -“Cooper” from Interstellar

I think that’s equally true for us as educators.

The time we have with our students is all too finite. And it goes all too quickly. That first moment they step into our classroom door, we begin speeding forward toward their past.

Our time with them is precious. Each day a gift. And in each moment we are presented the opportunity to become a memory. One they will always want to remember, or one they would rather forget.

Which one we end up is our choosing.