I take a
deep breath and just try to absorb the moment.
Nothing special is going on, I'm just making some lunch and my son is
playing on the computer in the other room.
It’s just the two of us home right now as his sister is at Girl Scout
Camp for two weeks and his dad is at work.
It’s just that lately I've become all too aware that days like this will
be gone way before I'm ready for them to end.
My daughter is 14 and my son is 11 ½
. Each summer seems to mean I have less
and less time with them as they are more inclined to be doing things with
friends or pursuing their own interests.
We dropped my daughter off at Girl Scout Camp about an hour away from
home two days ago. She will be there for
two weeks. She’s gone to camp before,
but this is the first time it’s been longer than a week. I missed her before we even got to the camp. She starts high school in August and of
course at this point it’s about spending as much time with her friends and
boyfriend as she can.
Last night my son spent the night
with a friend. It meant that it was just
my husband and me at home with the dogs.
I usually love having that alone time with my husband. Last night it just felt like the house was
empty. This morning when he went to
work, it felt even emptier. I was so
relieved when it was time to go pick my son up from his sleep over.
It’s just a normal week day during
summer break. I’m doing things around
the house and trying to get some of my own things done. He’s finished eating his lunch and is now
downstairs playing on his Xbox. I’ll be
going to the grocery store soon. But,
the fact that we're in the same house for most of the day is really all that
matters.
So,
again I just close my eyes and only focus on the sound of his voice as he’s
talking to his friends over his Xbox and the feel of the house when he’s
home. I try to focus all my senses on
the simple experience of doing laundry, cleaning the kitchen and preparing to
go to the store while he’s here in the house with me. All too soon it'll be over and we'll be
building memories with our children as adults instead of as kids.
My 4yo son and the dog spent last Wednesday night at my parents'. The house seemed so still and quiet without them! I understand the feeling of emptiness you were sharing.
ReplyDeleteIt's nice that you're able to appreciate those moments. I have two boys, ages 15 and 16, and they are becoming more and more independent. This is how it should be, but it still surprises me that within a few years they'll be off to college.
ReplyDeleteThere are certain joys that only come with adult children–grandchildren. My first one arrived just 4 months ago.
ReplyDeleteWell, the good news is that the trend seems to be for kids to move back home with their parents after college, so you can potentially look forward to that! LOL. Time passes too quickly, doesn't it?
ReplyDeleteMy son is at summer camp (brace yourself) for the entire summer. For the first time, I'm experiencing what you've got going on here. I've never felt it before quite so profoundly. I miss him. I feel the lump in my throat as I tap out these words. Hug your son when he comes upstairs later, mama.
ReplyDeletemy kids are all home running wild and yet i feel the future emptiness you speak of. you almost made me appreciate doing the laundry! ha.
ReplyDeleteI needed to read this post. My kid is 5 and this summer I've just been feeling like she's CONSTANTLY at my heels. But it won't always be like that and I need to appreciate the closeness while I still can.
ReplyDeleteI love this - watching our kids grow and learn to fly from the nest is exciting but heartbreaking a the same time. My daughter moved out on her own two years ago, and I still find myself in her room every once and a while, missing her terribly. Enjoy your time :)
ReplyDeleteWow, it's great that you can stop and savor it, being present. I know a lot of people wish it away...
ReplyDelete