Just hours away now....

"Old man take a look at my life, I'm a lot like you." "Love lost such a cost, give me things that won't get lost."- Neil Young

The hardest thing in the world to do is to try not to cry. Go ahead. You know what I mean. Something sad is happening, maybe a funeral. Whatever. You are trying to do all you can to hold back tears, but they flow down the side of your cheek nonetheless. My personal Kryptonite is to hear "Amazing Grace" played on the backpipes. Niagara Falls everytime.

See, I'm a cryer, and I just lost it out on the back porch a few minutes ago. Emma's departure is just hours away and I really am not ready for it at all. I'm a hot mess. She was hollering for me a few minutes ago while in the shower. She had a huge knot in her hair and it just would not come out. By the time I got to here, she was yelling, "Daddy, I want to cut it all off." So, I asked her for the conditioner and she told me "I used it all Daddy, it's all gone, please cut it off." So, I jumped into the shower with her with my hairbrush and together we pulled and strained to get that knot out. I was lost....I was thinking that my next step would be peanut butter or mayonaise. What do I know about girl's hair? Finally, the knot came loose and the patient survived. Im pretty sure Emma's scalp will be sore for a while, but them's the breaks.

When Emma leaves, I'm going to be so alone, or at least it's gonna feel that way. I know how this dance goes. Ill spend the entire day in the bed, and probably the whole night as well. My thought process will be something like...."Did she have fun?" "Did I do enough to make her happy" "Will she miss me?" "Will she want to come back next year?" "Does she love me?"

Yeah, I know. Pretty stupid questions, but Im pretty stupid. Life is so cruel. Why must I lose so much? Why do I have to feel such absolute pain? It's not fair. The only thing I can take from it is that I appreciate what I have more now than then, but it is a sickening feeling to say goodbye to my child. The thought of food makes me want to Ralph all over my desk.

Am I a good father? Am I? How will I ever know? Right now, I feel like a failure. It's been a good summer, but I can't remember anything. All I can foresee is handing Emma back to her Mom and the uncertainty that will follow. Hence, the fact that Im listening to Neil Young.

Talk to yall later.

Clay