So we got Ricky off on a plane out of LAX, back to his new home state of Montana. He barely looked back. …
(Of course, that might have been because we barely got him there on time.)
Here’s what happened: We screeched up to the curb at Delta about ten minutes before his flight was supposed to leave (bad us – we had all decided to do important things that day, like go see The Dark Knight together and then get In-N-Out. … we’re as bad as the teenagers …). Anyway, we screeched up; Ricky hopped out to get his suitcase; I gave him the fastest hug in the universe; Superman did, too; and then he was off! It was weird to say goodbye that way.
But really, our morning at the theater to watch The Dark Knight – all five of us, even – was the better “goodbye.”
We had a good summer with him, although his summers are made up now of mostly visiting friends and then working to earn school money. And something tells me he might not come home at all next summer – he’s settling in, it seems, in Montana. This year, he’s renting a house, has a new job at the newspaper, and has his “Montana friends.” But we’ll see.
He’s drifting into adulthood.
And we’re letting him.
It’s the thing that parents do, right?
That movie morning was so fun though!
Is it wrong to be proud, happy and sad all at the same time?
Yeah, that was fun, C!
And as for being proud, happy and sad all at the same time — Hopefully that’s normal! 🙂
It was fun for us too seeing him over the summer. He is becoming a great adult. All your kids are amazing. We love them. But growing into their own is what they do. Letting them is what parents do.
No, it isn’t wrong to be proud, happy and sad all at the same time. When you have good kids, it is a constant feeling.
Love you all
That is so good that Ricky is feeling at home in Montana! The first summer my son didn’t come home was really hard for me, and then he had a job and couldn’t come for Christmas either which was even harder….but you do get used to it. It is totally normal to have all those feelings all at once Chris, it is part of letting them grow up and out! =)