being astonished

So today, I am being astonished, and now I am telling about it.

Today is my nephew Michael's 18th birthday.  18!  I'm pretty sure it was just a couple of years ago that he was perfectly at home hanging out on the upstairs deck butt naked and sucking on a pacifier while peeing over the side just to see what would happen (and MM, if you are reading this I know you are mortified, but you can thank me later that I did NOT post my photographic evidence of this).   Just about every person I know greeted the news of this milestone birthday of his with some version of  "OMG, how did time slip away that fast???"  I can only imagine what his mama is feeling today - undoubtedly her own version of astonishment, perhaps mixed with some panic, relief, and thankfulness that the wonderful human being she brought into the world has reached this new and exciting jumping-off point.

It's almost inconceivable to me that Michael should be an adult now.  This means that not only have I experienced MY childhood in its entirety, but now I have walked alongside someone else's childhood from beginning to end, and it boggles the mind.  Especially since some days (many, many more than I care to admit, actually) *I* still feel like a fledgling...  Why, just today I had a moment or two of feeling 16 again, and most days I don't feel a day over 30!  (emotionally, anyway).  

Oh, our darling days are numbered - and today I am feeling that more than I ever have before...