Bittersweet
The son's move went smoothly. His dad saw fit to just loan him the pickup (see 5/22 post) and the poor kiddo covered a lot of miles by himself Saturday. His sister helped out by carrying a load in her SUV. We stayed here and let them do it, worried about holiday traffic and his driving an unfamiliar vehicle, but they were done by dark.
Now I miss him. It's a very difficult time when your kids are no longer children and not yet adults. Sometimes they are so mature that you just swell with pride. Then they revert to being about nine years old, and you wonder if they will ever grow up. I admit it will be nice to go to bed on Saturday night not trying to stay awake enough to listen for his coming home. No more waking early on Sunday morning to check out front for his car or peek into his room, making sure he is safe. But then, I will miss his humor. He always makes me laugh and although cleaning and picking up aren't his forte, he is certainly helpful in many ways and quite knowledgeable about a variety of things. Quite the fix-it guy.
So it's done. Cliches about leaving the nest abound. I hope he is happy and successful and never returns to live here. On the other hand, I would go get him and bring him home to keep here forever in a nanosecond. Friday night, my husband, worried as I was, offered up "Now all we can do is pray" and he meant it. A complete anomaly coming from a veritable agnostic, it made me smile.... and cry a little too.
We still have a ten year old and will get to do this again. I don't know if experience will make it easier or not. It's always different, but it's also always a mixture of melancholy and joy.
Bittersweet.