Cat's in the Cradle

My child arrived just the other day
He came to the world in the usual way
But there were planes to catch
And there were bills to pay
He learned to walk while I was away
And he was talking 'fore I knew it
And as he grew he'd say
"I'm gonna be like you, dad,
You know I'm gonna be like you."

And the cat's in the cradle with the silver spoon
Little boy blue and the man in the moon
"When you coming home, Dad?" "I don't know when
But we'll get together then, yeah
You know we'll have a good time then"

My son turned ten just the other day
He said, "Thanks for the ball, dad, come on let's play
Can you teach me to throw?" I said, "Not today,
I got a lot of work to do." He said "That's okay"
And he walked away, but his smile never dimmed
He said, "I'm gonna be like him, yeah,
You know I'm gonna be like him."

 And the cat's in the cradle...  

Well he came home from college just the other day
So much like a man I just had to say
"Son, I'm proud of you, can you sit for a while?"
He shook his haid and he said with a smile
"What I'd really like, dad, is to borrow the car keys.
See you later, can I have them, please?"

And the cat's in the cradle...

I've long since retired, my son's moved away
I called him up just the other day. I said,
"I'd like to see you, if you don't mind,"
He said, "I'd love to dad, if I could find the time
You see my new job's a hassle and the kids have the flu
But it's sure nice talking to you, dad,
It's sure nice talking to you."

And as I hung up the phone it occurred to me,
He'd grown up just like me, yeah,
My boy was just like me...

And the cat's in the cradle with the silver spoon
Little boy blue and the man in the moon
"When you coming home, Son," "I don't know when
But we'll get together then, yeah
You know we'll have a good time then"

- Cat Stevens

This song is so apt along with the photograph pasted here. The photo has trapped my parents into a frame.  When I was a kid, I often used to tell myself that 'my parents are screwing up here, and I shall be a much better man'. (Well, ironically the better man delusion is far from over yet.). But as I grew up, I realized, what we call as growing up is actual a gradual carefully monitored endeavor in taking away those ideals from a kid. We end up grown up, but so different from what we started off wanting to be, and I am sure that what you wanted to be, was so much more correct and better than what you actually became. 

You are a shadow of yourself, and your shadow is not you....

I like that line in the song, 
'And as I hung up the phone it occurred to me, he'd grown up just like me, yeah,
my boy was just like me...'