A Mommy Blog About Raising Men, Not Boys.
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Saturday, November 21, 2009

Stretching His Wings


My oldest child is not at home. He is spending the night at a friend's house tonight.

It is the first time he has done such a thing.

He's not here telling me about various inconsistencies in the Star Wars the Clone Wars vehicles episode to episode. He's not telling me a joke he made up which is not a joke.

He's not here.


I don't like it.


I won't lie and say I've never been without him - I have. I've travelled for work and stuff and been away from him. But he was HERE. He was home. If I am here, he's supposed to be HERE.


Now he's at the home of one of his very good friends, with a wonderful family and I hear there is pizza and ice cream sandwiches going on tonight and I KNOW that this is going to be a night he talks about forever. He is doing what I did so many times, over and over and over.


He's having a sleepover.


He's never had sleepovers at grandparents or relatives, no one ever lived close to us. He's never had friends to have sleepovers with until now - so I never had to cross this bridge.


I didn't know I wasn't ready when I said yes. I didn't know I wasn't ready when I rolled up his sleeping bag or packed his backpack and picked out jammies. I didn't know I wasn't ready.....until we drove away.


I don't like it because it's the first of 1000 steps that will take him away from me into his own life. And I don't begrudge him or want him to have anything BUT his own fulfilling independent life.


But he's 7. And frankly, I just wasn't ready.


3 comments:

Frank said...

I wasn't ready either.

April Brandon said...

It's hard watching them grow up and be their own person. I'd love to tell you that it got easier, but it really doesn't.

landismom said...

Awwww. It's sweet that you wrote this post. I bet he had a great time, and had no idea how much you missed him!