There they go….

US Review of Books Live for Today, Author Interview

There they go….

My Facebook timeline is full of pictures of smiling children heading off to school. A new year, new friends, another year older. Oh the memories.

It seems like yesterday that I was sending my kids out the door to play school, kindergarten and then grade school. They obliged the indulgent mother in me for smiling photos, showing off their new outfits and backpacks. The class trips to the zoo, skiing, swimming, dances, and overnight sleepovers

In the blink of an eye they were done school and getting ready to spread their wings and experience freedom on their own. They were out with friends, gone for weekends, pushing the limits, and testing patience. Looking back it all went so fast it’s hard to believe sometimes.

I believe it’s the same for most parents. We do everything we possibly can to prepare them for independent life on their own. Then they spread their wings and fly, sometimes falling back into the nest, other times soaring on the first flight. Regardless we smile, we cheer and we have tears. Our babies are grown, our nest is empty and we struggle to fill the void left in the wake.

It’s hard for our children to understand why there are tears in our eyes as they move on into their new life. It’s something they will understand better when they have children of their own. We devote hours each day for years to them, ensuring they are safe, fed, healthy and successful, then they leave. We are left with a void to fill. We switch gears and do the things we always wished we had time for. But, we miss their dependence on us, even though we were teaching them independence skills all those years.

The pain of seeing an empty room. The realization that the fridge will remain full. It all becomes our new reality. We adapt to the quiet, and rejoice when they call. We listen intently for any sign they need us, and we boast to everyone who will listen how proud we are.