Nicky has been "clingy" lately. Lots of hugs and lots of conversations. Which is GREAT. If you have much experience with a 14 almost 15 year old girl, you know that it's easier for it be the opposite, where they are never around and won't speak to you at all.
But she's started to refer to when she is gone a lot. In her words (and Chad's) she's preparing herself for when she moves out. I don't remember thinking about my parents and what they would do when I was gone. I only knew one thing, I wanted to leave and I couldn't come back! I was a little shocked when I came home from Springfield and my room was an office. There was no bed for me and I got to sleep on the couch (ouch). But why keep a room for someone who is gone? So it made sense, I just hadn't prepared myself for it.
Nicky is only 14. She has 3 1/2 years of high school left and who knows how many years left in our home while she attends college or takes classes or does whatever she'll do after school. For me, it's easiest to think of the time she is with me as her "training" years. I think of the time I have with my kids more as borrowed time that I get with them now so that they can become what they are supposed to become. I don't know specifically what that is, but more in general, I know the character We're trying to instill in them now before they are "gone".
Of course there are no guarantees in life, so the good news is, with Nicky as our test sample, we should know what to do or not do with Chandler, right?! :) If only.
2 comments:
Enjoy them while you can. :)
I was ready to move on but never considered the effect on my parents when I was that age. They, for their part, did a good job of making it looked like it didn't phase them at all I was leaving. A friend told me mom cried at home after dropping me off - that surprised me.
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