...what are you going to do now?
I have lost count of the number of times I have been asked that question, or variations of it, such as ...
What will you do with all that time?
What will you do with such a quiet house?
What will you do with no more children to cook for?
And so on ...
Here I almost am, at the now that everyone's been asking about.
I say almost, because at the moment I am in Virginia with Erin and Clara, looking forward to visits with the relatives here, to seeing the newest baby in the family, to spending a last couple of days with my daughter and granddaughter. On Wednesday, I will take them to Dulles Airport for their 10 AM flight and then I will drive home, and when I get there, it will really and truly hit me that my youngest has gone off to college and we now have an empty nest. Coty, bless his heart, is already experiencing that emptiness because he said good-bye this afternoon to his sweet daughter and granddaughter and hugged me as we set off for Virginia. Then he went inside to a very empty house. Thank goodness, Madison the cat, is still there for company!
Anyway, back to the question. What am I going to do? Here is a very incomplete list:
-go into Joel's bedroom and straighten things up. Make the bed with fresh sheets, dust the dresser and desk, neaten up the closet, and think about the boy that is now sleeping on an extra-long, extra-firm, dorm room twin bed. Feel the lump in my throat and the tears of missing and of gratitude, for him - and for his five amazing, incredible, funny, smart, adventurous, strong, compassionate, (etc., etc., etc.) siblings, who are navigating adulthood and its bumps and challenges with far more grace than I did at their ages. Cut a Mama some slack today and let me brag, OK. Weren't they just toddlers and babies underfoot? How did this happen?
-make coffee in my new French press. That's a whole 'nother post for another day.
-pull weeds. The garden is a jungle just now. This last month of family together-time, beach vacation, and granddaughter days has meant very little attention to the poor, poor garden. It's a mess. I could go at it with dash and fury, and whip it into shape, but wise words from a wise woman have me thinking about what it would be like to "move at the speed of love around the garden" instead.
-sew. I have fabric stashed and a major quilt project to start on, as well as plenty of unfinished projects calling out to be completed. There is this year's Sari Bari quilt to finish with my dear, dear quilting friends. I have a guild project and some mending and alterations to do for others. There are also five precious Burmese women who are learning to sew and I can't wait to get back to our classes together.
-finish preparations for an anniversary. 10 years. By the grace of God, our church is getting ready to celebrate 10 years of ministry! Honestly, I wasn't sure I'd survive the first year; the second and fourth years were killers, and now, here we are at 10 years. Soli Deo Gloria!
-read. Lots.
-start learning how to use my new camera. Yet another post coming soon.
-figure out how to cook for 2 people.
-not rush into anything else new. The house is empty, but that doesn't mean I have to fill my plate to overflowing. There is plenty. A gracious plenty, and I am grateful for a bit of space and time just now.
I have lost count of the number of times I have been asked that question, or variations of it, such as ...
What will you do with all that time?
What will you do with such a quiet house?
What will you do with no more children to cook for?
And so on ...
Here I almost am, at the now that everyone's been asking about.
I say almost, because at the moment I am in Virginia with Erin and Clara, looking forward to visits with the relatives here, to seeing the newest baby in the family, to spending a last couple of days with my daughter and granddaughter. On Wednesday, I will take them to Dulles Airport for their 10 AM flight and then I will drive home, and when I get there, it will really and truly hit me that my youngest has gone off to college and we now have an empty nest. Coty, bless his heart, is already experiencing that emptiness because he said good-bye this afternoon to his sweet daughter and granddaughter and hugged me as we set off for Virginia. Then he went inside to a very empty house. Thank goodness, Madison the cat, is still there for company!
Anyway, back to the question. What am I going to do? Here is a very incomplete list:
-go into Joel's bedroom and straighten things up. Make the bed with fresh sheets, dust the dresser and desk, neaten up the closet, and think about the boy that is now sleeping on an extra-long, extra-firm, dorm room twin bed. Feel the lump in my throat and the tears of missing and of gratitude, for him - and for his five amazing, incredible, funny, smart, adventurous, strong, compassionate, (etc., etc., etc.) siblings, who are navigating adulthood and its bumps and challenges with far more grace than I did at their ages. Cut a Mama some slack today and let me brag, OK. Weren't they just toddlers and babies underfoot? How did this happen?
-make coffee in my new French press. That's a whole 'nother post for another day.
-pull weeds. The garden is a jungle just now. This last month of family together-time, beach vacation, and granddaughter days has meant very little attention to the poor, poor garden. It's a mess. I could go at it with dash and fury, and whip it into shape, but wise words from a wise woman have me thinking about what it would be like to "move at the speed of love around the garden" instead.
-sew. I have fabric stashed and a major quilt project to start on, as well as plenty of unfinished projects calling out to be completed. There is this year's Sari Bari quilt to finish with my dear, dear quilting friends. I have a guild project and some mending and alterations to do for others. There are also five precious Burmese women who are learning to sew and I can't wait to get back to our classes together.
-finish preparations for an anniversary. 10 years. By the grace of God, our church is getting ready to celebrate 10 years of ministry! Honestly, I wasn't sure I'd survive the first year; the second and fourth years were killers, and now, here we are at 10 years. Soli Deo Gloria!
-read. Lots.
-start learning how to use my new camera. Yet another post coming soon.
-figure out how to cook for 2 people.
-not rush into anything else new. The house is empty, but that doesn't mean I have to fill my plate to overflowing. There is plenty. A gracious plenty, and I am grateful for a bit of space and time just now.
4 comments:
oh the days ahead will have so much creativity and love poured out into lives. I can't wait to see.
Sweet, sweet friend. When the hours stretch quiet don't even call just come. We will have moka and talk fabric and sewing and reading and photography over the din. And when the windows rattle and the floor is a sandbox here I'll come over and drink up quiet with you on the screened porch.
It's a deal, Amber!
I say you deserve some rest time after all these years of homeschooling. ;) Maybe that is where my thoughts go because we are still in the midst of the craziness here. Hugs to you.
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