sad

Tonight I went to drop Justin off at one of his friends house in our old neighborhood. While there I drove past a group of kids who just happened to be friends with my oldest son when we lived there and he wasn't too cool for them. I pulled up and yelled (and I yell very loud) "Hey Matt, what are you guys doing?!!" To which he mumbled with his teeth together and his lips barely moving "I'm on a date, you're not supposed to be here!" So I said "sorry, gosh!! I was just in the neighborhood and happy to see you" and then I yelled even louder "Hey Adam!! It's sister Wright!!" Adam looked my way, got all excited and came to the car. "How are you?" he asked and before I could answer he said "how's Josh?!". "Oh, he's good..working a couple of jobs and just living life". "Is he still getting married? When?" "yep, and sometime after December". He got kinda sad and said "well, tell him we said hi". "I will...it was great seeing you guys...bye" I said. And then I drove off....feeling very sad inside. It was just less than 2 years ago that my son was hanging with these kids and enjoying life. And while they are still living the innocent life of having a curfew, borrowing mom and dads car and dating, my son is trying to grow up all too fast. He has his own place, getting ready to get married, and struggling to make ends meet. How I just wished he would have taken the easy route...the route he's going to wish he took 20 years from now. As much as I love him and his fiancee Julia, I feel they are both kids...they both have a lot of growing up to do, a lot of life to live. They could both be doing what I saw tonight. And I want that for both of them. But they won't...and that makes me very, very sad.