Chelsea left for Melbourne, Australia a few hours ago. I just got back from taking her to the airport.

She is moving, with no definite plans to come back. She expects to be there for about a year. To me, that’s endless. For a father, this is difficult to handle, but also exhilarating. In the last few days I have privately celebrated her life. Even though she stayed with us for the last few weeks, I have kept most of this from her. She had enough on her mind.

Here is a poem I wrote today, which is now, at 1:13am, already yesterday.

It’s Time to Fly

The first party
You ever put on
Was your farewell party
Last night,
Before you leave for Australia
Today.

I helped you shop
For beer and tequila
And all the other fixings
For margaritas
At the very same Vons
Where I bought your first diapers
Some twenty-two years ago.
Where I took you with me
Shopping
And let you walk,
Between the vegetable counters,
You – barely ten months old,
Proud.

I remembered that
While at Vons,
Not telling you,
I did not want to distract you.

You are now headed
Half a world away,
So far
That it will be difficult
To coordinate a good time
For instant messenger chats.

You are looking
To find your life out there
And your love.

The days
And weeks
And months
Ahead of you
Are the best of your life.
They are the ones
You will remember
As you get older.
And you will tell
Your children about them.

The days we shared,
Endless they seemed,
Yet they were only
Eight thousand and seventy days
As of today.

The times we shared
Went by so fast
And I missed them,
Longed for them,
Even as they were happening,
Acutely aware
That one day
You would fly.
And today is that day.

May you live every hour
In fulfillment
And happiness
And purpose.
May you find the passion
You deserve.

May you always know
That I cherish the things
You made for me,
That I treasure every day
I have known you,
And that I will always miss you
When you are not right next to me.

Go,
Fly!
And don’t look back.
It’s your turn now.