Bitter sweet…

For the past six years…the end of August has always left me a little on edge.

While friends are still enjoying the final days of summer with their families…I have that one child who’s just a wee bit older than the rest of my friends’ children…and the end of August for me brings a gnawing at my belly…knowing there’s somewhere she has to be.

For the last five years it was three stints to Antigonish, two times to France…then this year, off to Ottawa for degree number two.

Each time it’s felt a little different…we’ve faced challenges as she’s headed off to various adventures, excitement and a lot of unknown…always welcoming her home for Christmas break and the end of the year with open arms…knowing she’ll go again…she’s never home for long.

It’s bitter sweet…time and again.

Tonight…it felt different as The Tall Blonde and her boyfriend Eli, boarded a plane with all of their belongings to head half-way across the country….to start their next chapter…together.

I feel a familiar loss as my oldest won’t be here every day for family celebrations and yet…it feels more like I’m gaining.

It’s as if this young man, who’s been hanging around our house for years…much more regularly this last one…has no intention of going anywhere.

Unless it’s where she plans to be.

This evening, as we stood at the airport waving our goodbyes…two families laughing, crying, taking pictures and holding it all together…it was evident that this was something a little bit more.

As we were wishing them well while they headed off to start their new lives together…we were somehow left standing there…looking at one another in realization that we’re suddenly all in this together. That their leaving…just brought us closer together.

This time…it felt a little different.

Still bitter sweet…but with a lot more sweet…than bitter.