One of the songs on my CD (It was released in 2006. Don’t feel bad if you didn’t hear it; you’re in good company!!) is called “Good Times (Go By Too Fast)”. It’s basically saying enjoy what you have when you have it because, before you know it, it’s gone. When my kids were really young (now they’re almost 25, 23, 18, and 17), it seemed like they were going to be living under my roof forever (I don’t mean that in a snarky way; just that it’s where they belonged). Now, though, the oldest is living, not only out of my house, but over an hour away. We don’t see him very often. Would I like to see him every day? Of course, but I know from what happened when I left my parents’ house, that Life gets in the way. You move out, you have your own life apart from the family, especially when you start your own. You work, you maintain your own place, you have your own things to do; it’s not conducive to getting together. If I had given that any thought -the fact that I wouldn’t see him all that often- when he was a little boy, I would have lost it. Now it feels natural, like it’s always been this way. In the interest of full disclosure, since he went away to college, he’s lived out of the house for 9 months out of every 12, so I suppose I’ve had time to get used to it. Maybe if he just moved out permanently right from the get-go, it would have been worse. He also spent a year in Germany during college. He managed to get home a couple of times and, although I feel a little weird saying this, each time he left was just a little bit easier on us. We got used to his being away.
My oldest daughter spent 5 years away at college also, including a semester in Japan, but when she was at URI, she came home way more often than my son ever did when he was there. And it was hard letting her leave the country, but it was something she wanted very much to do. We weren’t about to stand in her way, but watching her go through security at Logan the day she left, I was struck by how young and small she looked. But, she went and we all survived.
Even my age seems “normal”. When I was twenty or twenty-five, I couldn’t imagine what it would be like to turn fifty. Now fifty is a rapidly-dwindling dot in my rear view mirror, but it seems like what it’s supposed to be. My younger daughter is away at school now and my youngest son will be going away next year. Between school and work and friends, I find myself home alone more and more. But, it seems like it’s the way it’s supposed to be. I guess we just adapt as things change and I suppose that’s the way it’s meant to be. But, truth be told, I’m shocked at just how fast the good times have gone. Luckily, there are always more.
My oldest daughter spent 5 years away at college also, including a semester in Japan, but when she was at URI, she came home way more often than my son ever did when he was there. And it was hard letting her leave the country, but it was something she wanted very much to do. We weren’t about to stand in her way, but watching her go through security at Logan the day she left, I was struck by how young and small she looked. But, she went and we all survived.
Even my age seems “normal”. When I was twenty or twenty-five, I couldn’t imagine what it would be like to turn fifty. Now fifty is a rapidly-dwindling dot in my rear view mirror, but it seems like what it’s supposed to be. My younger daughter is away at school now and my youngest son will be going away next year. Between school and work and friends, I find myself home alone more and more. But, it seems like it’s the way it’s supposed to be. I guess we just adapt as things change and I suppose that’s the way it’s meant to be. But, truth be told, I’m shocked at just how fast the good times have gone. Luckily, there are always more.
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