Note: this post was written last week, before I got sick with a flu-like bug (I've been tested for COVID, and it was negative) or what might even be a case of Lyme disease. Yesterday, because I was still ill and getting worse, I made the decision to stay behind so that my kids wouldn't be stuck in a vehicle for five hours with me and my germs as they were embarking on a new school year. Only DW accompanied them to the Greater Toronto Area (GTA).
I have so few recent family portraits. My kids, now 20 and 18, are so reluctant to posing for a photo that I've all but given up. The last family snapshot was taken almost a year ago, as we dropped our elder child off at her school in the GTA.
Today, however, we're dropping both kids off at their respective institutions of higher learning. Both are in the GTA, which makes the trip easier for DW and myself, and we're glad that they're no more than a half hour or so, by GO Train, from one another.
Today, we drop our younger child at her dorm; tomorrow, our elder kid is scheduled to check back in to her residence building. DW and I plan to stick around the GTA, visiting friends and ensuring our kids are settled in, before heading back home.
Just the two of us.
It will be strange, being at home without the kids, especially since our younger one was mostly confined to the house during the height of the pandemic.
Both kids have stated that they will probably not come home for Thanksgiving, in October, and may not even come home for their respective reading weeks, in November. So DW and I are contemplating finding a place to stay, in Toronto, over the Thanksgiving weekend, and dining out in the GTA with our kids.
The impact of being empty nesters won't likely sink in for a few more days, after we return home. It'll be quieter in the house—we've had both girls home since April—and dinners will be smaller.
DW and I will have only ourselves to turn to for keeping the house clean (heck, it'll probably stay cleaner for longer!).
One thing is certain: we'll miss our girls dearly.
Awww, this is such a sweet post. I imagine this must be such a bittersweet time for your family. Wishing your girls all the best with school this year!
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