"COLE"

This is a picture of Cole's LL Bean tote bag. He's had it since he was a baby, a gift from my mother. It is faded and a bit dirty and stained from markers and wear and tear. It is more than 10 years old, after all. This summer I saw a mom with her newborn. Over the handle of her pristine new stroller was a brand new navy and white tote bag, the exact same one, with the name "COLE" on it. I peeked in the stroller and a newborn Cole stared back at me. I thought of my Cole and my tote bag at home, and I was suddenly so aware of how relatively old my Cole was. Today he is 11. He will gradudate from primary school next spring; he has mastered many things, including reading and surfing the internet; he likes to memorize songs; he knows things about pop culture that I don't know; he has had three passports; he tells his friends secrets about girls; his face is changing but he still has a scar on his right cheek from an accident when he was 7. After 11 years, he has a personal history that includes love and loss. Seeing that brand new tote bag this summer and the baby Cole to whom it belonged reminded me of my Cole. I stopped the mom and told her briefly about my Cole and his similar tote bag. "Good luck," I said. "Enjoy every moment. It will go fast."