Hi Neighbor!

My daughter graduated from college last May and has been living with us and working remotely ever since.  This week she flew the nest, probably for the last time, moving into her own apartment 12 hours south.

I thought I was beyond getting emotional at these good-byes. I’ve been saying “see you soon” (never good-bye) over and over for the past 4 years to both of my college kids and it did get a little easier. I’m typically only misty-eyed. But this time it feels so different … so permanent.

There were times over the last year that I wished for more quiet and less chaos. Looking back the year proved difficult in so many ways but it also presented some gifts. The several months I spent with our 22 year old daughter was a time I’ll always cherish. I realize now, as the quiet sets in, how much I’ll miss her inexhaustible joie de vivre.

As I watched her pack up her room and leave it devoid of her prized possessions it looks exactly how I feel. A little sad and slightly abandoned. Gone are the dozens of photos, art on the walls, the little treasures collected over 22 years, the smell of a candle burning, the constant background music, the invitations to go for a walk, Friday night HH, Saturdays spent at flea markets, movie marathons, and friends popping around.

As I say goodbye I try not to cry. I’m happy for her and the new chapter she’s about to embark on. It’s time. But I can’t shake that feeling of sadness as she pulls out of our driveway for probably the last time as a dweller of our home.
I walk inside and the tears stream down my face. I miss her already.
Now it’s time to start my new chapter.

See you soon,
Regina