This summer marks the end of Lucy’s freedom.  Starting this August Lucy will begin Kindergarten and then her life of commitments and obligations will commence.  As adults we long for the days when we have “nothing” to do.  No meals to cook, no chores to do, no places to be, no people expecting anyting of us.  What happened to those days? We work our whole lives so we can retire and somehow, fleetingly, recapture the days between birth and five years old.  I’ve delayed this day for as long as I could. I didn’t enroll Lucy in Preschool.  She didn’t attend day care. We haven’t gotten her involved in sports, music, lessons, groups, organizations or anything that would place demands on her time.  She’s been allowed to float in her freedom.  She has evolved naturally as a person, experiencing life as it rose up to meet her.  But now, that all changes.  Now, she will learn about alarm clocks, and schedules, and due dates, and calendars and responsibilities.  I know she will love school (as her mother did) and I know she will be successful.  That is beside the point.  The innocence and carefree nature of her childhood is coming to an end and for that I’m sad.