Where did 18 years go?

Ken's Korner

Who would have guessed that 18 years could fly by so quickly? Last week that reality hit me between the eyes... my little brother is not so little anymore. I remember the day Marty was born and we all wondered why he came out with a chess board in tow. Having almost all flown the parents’ coop by the time he arrived,, most of us knew it was going to be different for us all compared to the years of the four of us growing up. Marty, “Our Camping Buddy” as Pop and Mom called him, grew up quickly and kept the parents young... at least at heart. We joked that by the time he was old enough to go to college or university the parents would be in wheel chairs and us “Older kids” would have to put him through school. Well not quite... Last Monday he turned 18 and on Thursday we took him to Winnipeg where he will now begin his adult life at the University of Manitoba. It seems just like yesterday when he went to kindergarten and then high school. Originally it was just supposed to be the parents dropping him off, but a funeral of a very close cousin to us all saw me travelling there as well. So I made a weekend out of it and spent some really good quality time with Marty Friday and Saturday. The little guy that loved Richie Valens La Bamba, is now all grown up and ready to take on the world; chess board still in tow! I think we have all gotten so used to him being part of our fabric we call life, that it will take some adjusting. The parents started that this past weekend going camping without any kids for probably the first time in decades. While we will miss him and his young friends hanging around, it will be fun to see him take on the new challenges that await him. Thanks for the memories Marty and best of luck making some new ones for us all to enjoy.
–Until then, Ken