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| Kendra and her goddaughter (!) at the pool Sunday evening. |
I need to hear I'm not crazy, aka, needed my mom. Just before Andrew's birthday dinner, I sent her a quick note:
[my question]Do you ever stop feeling wistful on your kids' birthdays or does it just get worse as they get older?
[Her reply]The wistfulness, indeed, lasts for years--and, yes, it seems to deepen as they are on the edge of creating their own lives apart from the home you have created for them. But then, in my experience, it started to lessen with the joy I felt as I watched each of you create your own home--safe and lovely--with your own family.Gosh, I was sure hoping she'd say that.
Love and prayers are with you--
Mom
And we had a great time for this guy's birthday dinner.
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| Andrew, his lovely sisters and girlfriend |
It's the last weekend before school starts for the girls. Alex has been back in Houston two weeks already, helping with orientation for Rice's freshman class. What a difference a year makes. Last year at this time I was a hot mess, both sons moving out for school the same week. I'm still wistful at birthday time, but after a spell of everyone being back home a few weeks and our house looking like a dorm room I'm pretty OK with the guys living on their own.
I'm still in pre-K, though, when it comes to knowing how to be a mom to new adults. Brian's a natural. I suppose that's how it should be? Dad nudges out of the nest, Mom stands a few paces behind wiping tears out of her eyes. Although, we both cried like babies when we said good-bye to our sons last summer.
On the subject of kids leaving home, my friend David posted a link from the Washington Post this week: Saying goodbye to my child, the youngster by Michael Gerson
I had to read it with one eye closed because my heart is still so raw.
In the spirit of the back-to-school / sending kids off to school season, here's a few places I've processed my own experience:
What I'd like my son to say to me on his 22nd birthday
When his future steps into him
15 seconds of applause (or, Our Boy Graduates From High School)
In the meantime this girl's starting her senior year of high school on Monday. sigh....
And I'm getting ready to bake for the one of two days I bake each year: Pumpkin-chip cookies on the first day of school
Our youngest starts her sophomore year. I think this is the first time in something like four years she's starting a school year in the same building she was in the previous year. What a relief for a semi-boring first day of school!
A few links worth your time today:
20 vintage photos of Austin: So, this probably only interests my Texas -- specifically, Austin -- friends. The image of the 1935 flood? Wow.
How to be a faithful friend during the hardest seasons of life by Kate Kelty at Take Them A Meal blog: Might be the most helpful piece I've ever read about how to walk alongside someone who's living with deep grief.
The Gospel in the City: While this brief message Brian gave last Sunday at Christ Church targeted our community's call to serve Austin, he gives encouragement to the capital-C church to serve whatever City they call home.Have you seen the new trailer for Parkland? So it doesn't actually "star" Rebekah (Alex's girlfriend) but she is an extra in the movie and she did make it into the trailer. The gorgeous blue dress running in the hospital hall at 1:04 and 1:05 is, in fact, her. We'd be excited about this non-conspiracy theory JFK assassination film either way, but this makes it even better!
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A beauty and grace-filled weekend for us all, dear ones.
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