A New Normal

Most summers my children entertain themselves by swimming, reading, and hanging out with friends. That still happened this year, but I found myself putting my own projects aside to spend more time with the kids. I knew that our household would change in September when my oldest daughter left home to go to university and I wanted to enjoy having them all together.

Many of my summer hours were taken up with getting her ready to move several hours away from home. I spent time sewing new dresses for both my girls and catching up on a few other projects. I de-junked the house and my family held a successful garage sale. We spent a weekend in Montana at the water slides and came back over Logan Pass in Glacier Park. (Breathtaking view. Breath-holding drive. The Going-to-the-Sun highway consists of a very narrow, winding road with no shoulder and sheer drops.) What I enjoyed the most this summer was the many hours I spent just talking to my daughter.

I'm excited she is at school and having new adventures, but there is a definite empty spot in our home. I can't imagine how my own mother sent me to university back in the days when phone calls were expensive, text was in a book or newspaper, and the internet was in its infancy. I'm so grateful for email and skype. My daughter and I talk several times a week, and my two younger kids can talk to her whenever they see she is on the computer. I miss her, but I'm so excited to hear all the things she is learning and discovering.

We are finally settling into a new normal at home. The chores have been redivided and I'm learning to cook a little less oatmeal in the morning. I'm still on the sub list at the school and I've taken on four sewing students. But even with all the emotional upheaval and changes, there are stories percolating in my mind. My fingers are itching to get back to the computer and see what adventures I find.