The first one flies the nest

I haven’t posted anything lately because I’ve been busy helping my eldest son get himself organised to move out.

He is 21 and has spent the three years since leaving school in a variety of jobs before travelling to Europe late last year. He has finally decided what he wants to do with his life – which is working with horses and travelling. Consequently he has enrolled in a course about an hour and a half away from home. He will board at the college so I’ve been busy helping him get the bedding, kitchenware, etc that he will need.

It’s an interesting experience helping one of your children to move out of the nest. I am quite excited that he will be independent and starting out on his own journey. I will miss him greatly. He is the only one of the three who really talks to me. But he is ready to leave and eager to start out on his own.

His preparations to leave have also created a sense for me that there is another life out there for me. My youngest is 17 and in his last year of school. He tells me he is moving out as soon as he finishes school. His brothers both laugh because they said exactly the same thing and are still here. But you never know. My middle son would move out in a flash if he could afford it. It won’t be long before I’m on my own.

It has been years since I’ve been on my own with no one else to look after or be responsible for. I’m kind of looking forward to it. I recently had a few weeks on my own when the boys went to their father’s and I loved the fact that I didn’t have to cook every day or clean. I could eat what I wanted, when I wanted and, being on my own, didn’t make enough mess to warrant cleaning.

Will I miss them when they all leave? Of course I will. But as I watch them branch out into their own lives I will always remember how I helped them to get there. Sometimes when they are reminiscing I hear them ask each other if they remember this or that or the other that I read to them, played with them or did with them and I smile. The lessons they learnt while growing up will stay with them forever. And I will be proud of them forever.