sweet sorrow

comes a point beyond the milk feeds broken nights alphabets and sums adolescent awkwardness and teenage tempests when a parent realizes her child has become an independent self-determining persona quite unlike herself with differing tastes opinions and priorities. the fledgling seeks out his own tree. it is a natural part of growing up, the old bird tells herself, and a good thing too. she sought her own tree long ago with the same hunger. on the other side of the fierce hunger is pain. she only learns it now, on the other side.

spent

in the past three weeks:

landlord gives us notice

frantic house hunt

mega moving sale

J2's graduation

church retreat

house guests

house removal

J2 flies off

J1comes and goes

HOM's business trip

a body could do with a bit of spacing out.

house removal, cautionary tale

the final thing people don' tell you about moving to a new home:

you will be bruised all over from bumping into things in the day whilst you unpack.

you will be bruised all over from bumping into things in the night where things didn't used to be.

you will be bruised just putting out the trash because you forget the car is in the way.

journeying on

pictures up.

boxes out.

we're good to go.

house removal, epiphany

a garage and a basement are not permanent fixtures in your life. 

kids grow up and leave home. 

plan your life and acquisitions around facts like these.

house removal, insider tip 2

to minimize agony with a move: do NOT collect:

• those sturdy plastic containers that come with take-out soups and make you feel wasteful when you want to discard them. discard them.
• those pretty mugs that are given out at father's day mother's day visit-my-organization-day and end of year parties as souvenirs. say no thank you i have a cabinet full at home. also, do not buy any mug no matter how pretty. you have plenty of free mugs at home.

house removal, insider tip

when you unpack you should at all costs do as much as possible as speedily as at all possible in order not to exceed two days in total.

this is because two days is the window you have before every last muscle in your body will conspire to block all your attempts to open another box. the muscles will win.

panacea

wanted:

satisfying plot not requiring intellectual engagement wrapped in good writing to while away the evening hours of post-house-unpacking fatigue.


it's proving elusive. largely because good writing and mindless plot seldom get together.
also, the library is closed.

blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside

J1 flies over during his block leave. he quickly commandeers the car to embark upon the rabid social scene. the place quickly overruns with his paraphernalia. the music is loud and long. he does his dishes. he pulls his weight. he runs me my errands. he figures things out. he shows concern. 

as much as i hardly dare to imagine it, my son has, i think, become adult.

family reunion 101

what they don't tell you is:

• reunions are nice. we've missed each other.
• reunions are painful. they begin to end as they begin.
• once the euphoria peters off the genteel tug of war for the car keys commences.