This whole summer has been an emotional storm, and now at the peak, a real hurricane decides to blow through.
This post is my 500th and I laugh at the irony. I started writing Middle Passages as a result of the tornado of upset that blew in when corporate restructuring yanked my job out from under me over two years ago. Post 500 occurs after another figurative cyclone, one which happened to coincide with the arrival of the real thing.
We did the college drop off on Friday, amid dire warnings of a devastating weather event predicted for Sunday, making the two hour trip early enough to for our girl to score the lowest of three beds in a forced triple dorm room. We eyeballed the thick brick walls on the second level of the eight-floor building, and, amid repeated warnings to stay inside during the storm, said our goodbyes. Then my husband and I rushed home to prepare the sailboat, pull the dinghy, and move all the outdoor paraphernalia indoors, before Irene and her 90 mile expanse of wind and rain blasted through.
Perhaps the powers-that-be were looking after me this weekend. Our sweet girl has gone to college and a pending hurricane is about the only thing that could distract me from the void in our home. Somewhere, next week, perhaps on a calm and beautiful Wednesday when I get home to a still house, the reality of the term “empty nest” will hit.
And that topic my friends, may be good for another 500 posts.
As I write this, the winds have died down, the power is back on, and no major damage occurred around us. Hope all who felt the effects of Irene are well and safe.
12 comments:
I'm sorry your daughter is away from you, but two hours isn't that far. (Monster Child will be lucky if I'm not living in the dorm room with her. hah)
I'm glad you posted, I was worried you might not be able to. I was going to send you an email but then I figured the power wouldn't be on. Glad you're all right.
Liza, hope you have the strength to handle the next few months. Glad your family is all right.
A triple bunk? The sardine analogy pops into mind. Glad everything went ok and Irene wasn't as bad as predicted. Congrats on 500 posts!! You'll find much to write about in your empty nest, and not all bad.
Irene was scary, but we didn't suffer much damage either. So glad you have power and are safe.
Aww, Liza. It's hard, but you find a lot of good things with the empty nest too. (Though who am I to talk?) I will always have my Christopher with me, even though the others will be gone. I will be thinking of you. I am thankful you are safe. (((hugs)))
Another millstone, err milestone has passed. At least your sweetie is near-by. And if she needs you, I'm sure she'll call.
I am glad Irene passed you by without any significant damage.
ohhh meee, I have felt the "drop off" feeling. but,,because of that "feeling", her life is enriched for the future...
Glad you weathered the storm! Life just keeps coming at us--if it didn't, what would we write about?!
My youngest is about to go. I feel ready. And then I wonder if I shall call myself a liar. I have only had boys. They are messy and loud and often inconsiderate. I wonder if that has weight in such matters. Yet they are funny and charming and humorous. Either way, I am soon to find out.
It's a challenging time, but I believe we grow through it too. It's wonderful to meet up again as adults, different, but even closer because of their realisation of how much we've done/sacrificed for them. My friends whose children have chosen to remain at home into their mid 20's are suffering - the women in particular - the children haven't learned to be independent.
I'm looking forward to your next posts. Keep safe.
So happy you weathered Irene. Now the bigger battle -- empty nest. :o)
Irene really touched a lot of people, more so than most. Glad you didn't have damage. Some of the photos from states north of us are heartbreaking.
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