The Empty Nest: So Far So …GOOD. Dare I say awesome! We came home to an empty house one week ago to the day. Flashback to June 27, 1988, after that our house would be constantly FULL … until now. But like riding the proverbial bike, we could get used to this “new” or “renewed” life together. In just a short week, I realized that I really do still like him … I mean I really LIKE LIKE him as kids might say.
Don’t get me wrong, we MISS Lulu immensely, but change is inevitable and this change is good. And at only two hours away, there will be weekend visits. Not every weekend, but some, just enough. At first I was all uh no, YOU wanted to go away, not me … so see ya … come Thanksgiving … (in my head only, I never said this to her out loud & I am ashamed I even thought it). And then, in the blink of an eye, life changed for a former co-worker of mine. The unimaginable and she will never have another phone call, meal, etc… with her child. My heart breaks for her and her family. I am reminded that life is just too damn short. Lulu is alive and we want to see her simply because we can. And like I said she is only two hours away … not across the country.
My memories are running rampant. And I remember my first time truly on my own. While I never went away to school, I did leave the nest … I just didn’t go far. I was about 4-5 miles from my parent’s house and I visited them often. When we married, after that first year, we bought a house right in between 7 miles from one set of parents and about 9 from the other. There was the occasional weekend get together too. Before cell phones – the original FaceTime. Therefore, we just decided that easing into this separation is okay too just as long as we do not stall out along the way.
Wish us luck. As always, more to come …
J-Dub's Grin and Bear It 