My Son is Leaving the Nest

My son is leaving the nest. He is moving out Saturday, just a few weeks before he graduates college.

I am experiencing a loss already and he hasn’t even moved out yet.

My son is leaving the nest that I have carefully prepared, guarded and nurtured for all of his life.

It is time.

It is good.

It is sad.

It is exciting.

If truth be told, the letting go process began several years ago when I decided he was too old to “mothered”.

And here we are.

Life is full of changes, one after another. This past year has been a stressful year. Many things have happened. Some good and some not so good. But there is one thing that will always remain the same. Things are going to change.

I should have seen this coming, right? Actually, I did. I have been preparing myself emotionally for, well, 24 years.

Jacob is moving out.

My son is leaving the nest.

Even though I was preparing myself, it still packs a punch. The days were long and the years short.

Where did the time go? So very cliche, I know, but seriously! If you could transfer the importance of staying in the moment to parents with young kids, perhaps they wouldn’t blink or go to sleep…EVER! But that won’t happen. It can’t. Each parent, child; each family has it’s own rhythm and way to experience things.

Parenting is a tough gig.

I focused on being fully-present through the growing years of each of my kids. I was fortunate enough to be a stay-at-home mom and a homeschool mom as well. That time afforded me the distinct privilege and pleasure (well, not always pleasure) of being there for those special moments of their lives Well, most of them anyway.

Here’s the thing…this is just one of my three kids, and…AND…it’s just the beginning of change for him.

My son is leaving the nest and our home state to work and reside elsewhere. He is moving into an apartment alone. It’s a big deal. But if all things go the natural way they usually do, he will meet a nice girl (one I REALLY like) get married and have kids. Yes, I want grands, but I’m getting ahead of myself.

My son is leaving the nest in just a few short days. My daughter and other son are still here. Some may say it’s way past time for a kid to move out, and maybe it is. But I like to think it is happening at exactly the time it was supposed to happen because life has a way of working out just the way it’s supposed to.

The days to come will be that of adjustment for my son who is leaving the nest and experiencing new things, and for me too.

My role as a mother was to prepare him for this move, this giant step out into the real, sometimes scary world.

Did I do my job?

Is he prepared?

Will he be okay?

Will I?

The answer to those questions is ‘Yes”. There will be a learning curve for him and an opportunity for growth for me.

But I have a feeling we will muddle through, on our own, yet staying connected in a different way. A new way.

Because~

My son is leaving the nest.