Life in this nest has been a whirlwind ride. I have four children. Each child is four years apart from the next. I have been asked if this was intentional. I would say... yes and no. They were all planned pregnancies but at no point did my husband and I think let’s have all of our children four years apart. We just knew we wanted children and, repeatedly, when the youngest turned three, we felt life had calmed down enough that we were ready for another. As soon as the youngest was old enough to pour a dry bowl of cereal to munch on in the morning, we were craving the return of sleep deprivation.
So, four children, each four years apart, makes for a very long time raising children. That’s sixteen years of toting a stroller. It was such a weird feeling not to have a small child around after so many years. Where would I put my shopping bags at the mall without that stroller? Life is constantly evolving and requires adjusting.
There were many more changes as the years went by, and one by one the children moved out and here I sit with my husband and our fifteen-year-old son, the last bird left in the nest. Teenagers find their way in the world and frequently spend more and more time on their own. We, as parents, mourn those days when our children were young yet simultaneously enjoy and treasure of all those wonderful memories. We find more time to go on date nights again and start yoga and get dance lessons on the internet. We dance in our family room. I find more time to write. Another transition in life slowly occurs and I am thankful, so very thankful for the privilege of raising each and every one of these beautiful, strong and majestic birds.
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