The Next Chapter…

It’s that time of year again… the time when everyone says, “Where did the summer go?” Kids are heading back to school, whether it’s elementary, high school, or college. And for a lot of us moms, it brings a strange combination of emotions.

My youngest came home for the summer, and I was incredibly happy to have him here. But he left a few weeks ago for his junior year of college. And while I’m very happy to have all of his college gear back where it belongs and to reclaim the bedrooms and get things cleaned up 

… I miss him.

It’s such a strange feeling to be so excited for your kids and their futures while simultaneously realizing just how incredibly fast time goes. They really are right when they say, “The days are long, but the years are short.”

This summer, my youngest turned 20. Twenty. Which means I officially no longer have a teenager in the house. I don’t usually feel old, but when you realize all three of your kids are now in their twenties, you can’t help but feel like you’ve entered a whole new chapter of life.

And you know what? I’m excited about that chapter. I’m excited for my kid’s futures. I’m proud of the people they are becoming. They are doing exactly what they’re supposed to be doing – growing up, becoming independent, and spreading their wings.

As parents, our job was never to keep them under our wings forever. It was to give them roots to grow and wings to fly. And they are using those wings. Beautifully. 

But that doesn’t mean we don’t miss the chapter when those little people lived under our roof. When the house was noisy and messy and someone was always coming through the kitchen looking for something to eat. When everyone was home. When our days revolved around their schedules, their activities, their friends, their games, their concerts, their laughter.

That chapter has ended. And it was a beautiful chapter.

So I think it’s okay for us moms to feel a little melancholy right now. We can be happy, proud, excited AND sad, all at the same time. Those emotions CAN coexist.

I often think of life as a book. Every adventure, every challenge, every milestone and every season becomes another chapter. And our family has certainly had some interesting chapters. 

But as I look toward this next chapter, I’m reminded how lucky I am to have a book filled with so many wonderful memories – and even more chapters still waiting to be written. I just don’t want this book to end.