it dawned on EACH of us as we were literally walking out the front door to drive her to college that her lifelong "home" will never be the same. Life will move on while she's away; decor, schedules, diet, traditions, routines. NOTHING will be identical when she comes home. We boo-hoo'd separately and sniffled a little together. I'm having a bit of a harder time pulling myself together than she is though.
Here's my very pitiful public therapy in the form of poetry:
From the moment I found you in my womb
I planned for you to be gone.
My arms held your body
But my lungs held my breath
Just newborn
But I knew you'd be gone
I stiffened my lip as we parted a kiss
Kindergarten
I KNEW you'd be gone
But you came home well-rested
From the nap you had taken
We had dinner, and snuggled at home
Off to camps with kids
See?!
Independent and gone
I've known it all along
But I picked you up tired
And hoarse after choir
And drove you back to our home reinspired
Graduation came and down the aisle you went
But this time I knew the drill
They would change your tassel
But it was no big hassle
Because you ALWAYS came home to my thrill
Then it happened so suddenly
It took me by surprise
I'd been planning for this day
But I didn't realize
It was really IT
THAT time had come
When you packed your bag
And it wasn't psyche or fun
Today was the day
I had planned for so long
But not well enough
And it stopped my song
The breath that I held
When you were born
To not get too attached
To give you freedom to soar
The breath poured from my eyes
In the form of rain
And the life I've been in
Transformed into pain
My baby is gone!
It's every mom's fear
But to snatch you from this would be love insincere
It's what you were made for
It's why we worked hard
To make you ready
To take the world by storm
Know this, Grown Girl
Every tear I cry
Is a unique memory
That we made in our lives
Every book we read
Every palette for a bed
Every swing set we flew
Every cake candle we blew
These thoughts give me peace
They build my hopes
They remind life is precious
And we had it better than most
I will cherish every moment
Of togetherness we've spent
My baby is gone
But you come home a friend
Beautiful...
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