There are so many times I would like to rewind time and get a “do-over.” Usually, those are times when I feel like I didn’t handle a situation properly, perhaps because I didn’t have the skills, or the patience, or was just out of sorts that day.

But there are other times when I would like a do-over just because something was enjoyable. A few weeks ago was one of those times.

Asher, our 10-month-old grandson, had his first haircut. When I saw the photos of that event, I immediately was transported back to 1982 when our son, Brian, Asher’s Dad, had his first haircut. I still remember the trepidation I felt driving to the barbershop. Would Brian sit still in the barber’s chair or wiggle so much that his hair would look like I cut it myself? Would he be afraid and cry? And… he would be losing his “baby” appearance and look more like a little boy. Was I ready for that?

I had no need to worry. Brian sat there like a little champ, smiling the whole time. I felt ridiculously proud of him for being such a “big boy.”

In 1982, for Brian’s haircut, we just showed up at a barbershop. No appointment necessary. Nothing special about the shop.

In 2022, our son had to make an appointment to get Asher’s hair cut. And he didn’t have to go to a men’s barbershop but was able to go to a shop that specializes in children’s cuts, and that shop has cute little cars for the kids to sit in. Times are different, but as Brian mentioned his and Melissa’s (our daughter-in-law, Brian’s wife, Asher’s Mom) concerns about the appointment, they were the same as mine had been for Brian. Some things just don’t change.

Although a bit shy at the beginning, Asher did great. Just like his dad.

I look at Asher’s smiling face and remember when I was the parent with the child sitting in the barbershop chair. It’s a double-dose of happiness for me… the present and the past.