Saturday, August 16, 2025

a season of goodbye

We drop Nu off at college on Wednesday--that's coming up fast! I'm fueled by excitement for Nu and an ever-expanding to-do list before drop-off and the approach of back-to-school duties of my own. I know I'll get to Wednesday just fine... but I wonder how it'll feel coming back home after drop off.

Sometimes I'm curious about how it might feel not to be a full-time parent after 26 years of being one. Max and Huck are much easier than Nu--perhaps it'll feel... liberating?At other times I'm deeply aware of what an immense shift this is and know that things will never ever be the same again. Even though there will probably be plenty of visits and summers spent at home...

Pic: Lots of dinners this week so Nu can say goodbye to people. I forget what the joke was here (it doesn't look like poor Max was in on it either :)!) Pic by E.M.

6 comments:

Lisa's Yarns said...

Look at those smiles!! Everyone looks so happy in that photo! I am glad Nu is getting such a great send off. It is true that it will never be the same but your relationship will grow in different ways! I hope their first semester of college is wonderful! College is where I really blossomed and found my people - I wish the same for Nu!

Nicole said...

OMG it's going to be a huge shift and I think once you get past the initial transition phase, it just might feel liberating. Then again, what do I know, Jake is still here. But wow, that is coming up fast!

Gillian said...

Cute photo.

J said...

I can only imagine the complicated feelings…liberation, sadness, so many things.

Nance said...

It will be everything: liberating, lonesome, strange, satisfying, relaxing, and at times as if you're a mother bird looking for the eggs that a hawk stole from her nest. Lisa and Nicole are both wise in what they say.

(And thank goodness for video calling so that you can see them when you talk!)

Jenny said...

I'll be very curious to know what it feels like! I'm facing the same transition in two years. I'm guessing there will be some hard moments, and then you'll adjust and thrive- just like all the big transitions in our lives, we'll figure it out!

a season of goodbye

We drop Nu off at college on Wednesday--that's coming up fast! I'm fueled by excitement for Nu and an ever-expanding to-do list befo...