What a Year

Hilde pointed out a few days ago that it has been a year since my last post. Really a year?  This year has flown past in a blur.  It has been full and has left little time for blogging.

Aside from all the regular family things that I juggle and a full time job, it was Maeve's senior year. My first born is now an adult and headed back east for college.  1855 miles away to be exact. This is awesome and terrifying.  Hilde turns 16 in 2 days and will be driving.  We have started college visits and are planning her last 2 years of home school.

When I catch my breath and look up from the piles of forms I need to complete, I realize I am headed into a new season of motherhood.  My daughters no longer require my assistance to stay alive. In fact they help me keep all the plates spinning. Although they still prefer me to cook dinner, they are completely capable of being self sufficient.  The scales of mothering are moving from the hands-on end to tip toward the emotional-support end.   Instead of feeding, dressing, and chauffeuring, I am now encouraging, guiding, and conversing.  We have great conversations about how to navigate life, how faith forms our decisions, and what their futures may look like.  I get to be part of these discussions but I can no longer choose for them.  I am keenly aware that my daily physical presence in their lives will be a thing of the past. I want to impart all my wisdom to them.  The irony is that wisdom is gained through experience.  So while I can share my stories with them, it's up to them to cultivate their own journey.  I can't walk through life for them but I think I have helped them be prepared for the trip.

Right now I am working on being fully present for every last moment.  That means choosing watching Merlin (our latest Netflix binge) over blogging.  It means saying yes to yoga class with Maeve (sometimes, because yoga is hard) and making sure we get to see Wonder Woman and Spider-Man in the movie theater.  These things may sound silly but time spent together is the foundation of connectedness.  Go make your own list.  What are the things that bring you together as a family?

Next on our list is a family vacation to Ireland.  I cannot wait to share this adventure with Maeve and Hilde. Once the dust settles in September and I've stopped crying about leaving Maeve in New Hampshire, I am sure I will have tons more to blog about.  I don't want another year to fly by.