About two weeks ago, my wife and I attended granddaughter Emma’s grandparent’s day at her school.

We were invited by our eight-year-old third-grader to see her school and be part of the afternoon activities along with the other happy-to-be-there grandparents.

It was scheduled for the last part of a Friday afternoon which meant that once it was finished, both the grandparents and students were done with school for the day.

The teachers had a few activities planned for everyone in attendance. There were some word games that involved memory that were played by the grandchild with the grandparents.

Another planned activity was an interview of the grandparents by the student.

Most of the questions were about our lives when we were in school. There was one question that caught my wife and me by surprise and while we answered it, it is still on my mind.

We were asked by this eight-year-old, who is one-eighth our age, “Have you gotten everything done in life you wanted to?”

There was a slight pause to think about our answers but we both thought that we were satisfied with our lives’ accomplishments.

I am sure none of the third-graders in Emma’s class, nor is Emma herself thinking about that question weeks later. For them it was a question. It was answered. Let us go to the next question.

Maybe I am the only grandparent who is still thinking about that question.

Emma’s question made us ask ourselves if where we are today is where we thought we would be when we were her age or maybe even her parents’ ages.

I am willing to bet there were few grandparents in attendance that day who were at a place in life today they thought they would be when they were in the third-grade.

Forty plus years ago, my wife and I had chosen what we thought were the directions we wanted and could not have predicted that we would be where we are today. Yet we are both happy and grateful to be together with our lives, family and friends.

There is no denying this question tells you that, in the game of life, you are in the ninth inning or the last minutes of the fourth quarter.

Whatever the score is, whether you are behind or ahead, time is running out.

I would also bet that there were very few grandparents who were about to make a final attempt to complete some life long goal that has yet to be achieved.

It would be fairly safe to say that for most of us grandparents in the game of life, we are looking at running out the clock hoping to not make any huge mistakes.

There may be a slight possibility of a last minute home run or one more touchdown, but even that may not be enough. The score is what it is.

Emma’s question is one that I would have loved to ask my parents if we were in a setting where we had time to think and reflect.

Once we had finished our afternoon’s assignments, in the manner of a place that encourages thoughts, we were given a cookie and juice or coffee before leaving.

We were nourished that afternoon in mind, body and soul.

It was another day at school and by the time we left, all of us had learned something.

Rye is a Farm News staff writer and farmer from Hanlontown. Reach him by e-mail at crye@wctatel.net.