The last child graduated from high school. A mile stone! Not for my daughter–we expected her to graduate–but for mom.
“Are you sad?” asks Hubby. “Your baby is moving out and going to college.”
Sad? Um…
My life has been consumed with children for many years. Children that I had to:
- cook for
- nag at
- scold
- drive around
- be exasperated by
- worry about
- give money to
- catch in lies
- make emergency runs to wherever ( school, game, hospital, work, friend)
Sad? Not so much.. I do feel some relief.
Hubby gives me a worried look. “Most moms are sad when the last one leaves home.”
Why aren’t I sad? His statement gives me a fair amount of angst!
And then it hits me! The children have worn me out! After 27 years of kiddos, Mom is just plum tuckered out! Wiped out! Run-down!
27 years of mom…mom…mom…mom…mom ( young parents, that summons never ends).
Mom needs a few years to recuperate before grandchildren start arriving.
And it’s not like they’re really gone! Like the Terminator who says, “I’ll be back,” this is only the end of Season 1 of Life with Children.
Maybe years ago, before the advent to social media and techno-everything, parents probably felt the empty nest syndrome more profoundly.
Texting, Instagram, Facebook mean the umbilical cord is still attached—-a cyber-umbilical cord! Of course, if they de-friend me that’s a different story!
Quick true story:
Mom: Why did you defriend me on Facebook?
Son: I don’t want you to see what I’m doing!
Mom: Oh, but you have no problem letting a future employer see your shenanigans?
Son: Oh! Hadn’t thought of that! OK, look, I’m re-friending you right now. **mutters under breath, damn**
And I’m 100% certain that the above bulleted points NEVER end for a mom–I mean, that’s what mom’s do, right?
So, what’s really changed?
I still receive their parking tickets, mail, jury summons, W2’s, and junk mail. They still come in, head straight for the fridge, and forage for snack food.
“I think we should turn the front bedroom into my office or maybe an exercise room,” I say to Hubby after graduation.
“I can see you’re all choked up!” Hubby scratches his chin in wonder.
The nest may be empty, my little birdies flown the coop, but the time has come for this old chick to spread her wings and fly.
And it’s time for my hatchlings to be catching their own worms!
Related Posts:Multi-tasking Flunky; Gracious Living; Junk Mail; Closet Craziness; Surviving My Purse; Ode to Stilettos; Girlie to-do list #1; Girlie to-do list #2; Sequestration at my house; Mom’s Smoke Signals
