Past Ramblings
Breakfast at Grandmas
Strong Foundations
Grandpa In The Garden
Family Reunions
Halloween
Saturday Nights
After Sitka
The Gift

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.A brilliant grin spreads across two year old Cecil’s face as he spots the goose behind me in the parking lot.  “Geese!” he says with delight, struggling to get out of the restraints of his car seat.  Tired as I am from the twelve hour trip,  I can’t resist a matching grin and reach down to turn him loose. 

Bouncing across the parking lot, he grins again and runs with elbows swinging for extra motion.  “Hey, wait,” his dad says, wanting to grab him and give him a welcome home hug.  Unmindful, Cecil continues after the goose.

And so, they are at their new home in North Carolina.  The geese are a welcome surprise as I knew the boys would miss chasing and harassing their great granny’s geese in Florida.  Now they have their own.

Grabbing a few things, I move inside to rest a bit before I start my long trip back home.  A trip that I know will be hard not only because of the hours, but also because of what I’ll be leaving behind.

I listen quietly as Danny points out all the advantages of their new home; “Only two miles from Timco,” he says. “And, Walmart is just up the road, and something you’ll like, Mom,” he says with a grin. “Lowe’s, is just around the corner…” Smiling, I try to share his enthusiasm.

Four month old Ashlie grins up at me with her beautiful blue eyes as I settle down on the carpet beside her.  Picking her up, I hug her close wanting to spend every minute I can with her before I leave.  My throat gets tight again with emotion as I think about how quickly a baby grows and what I’ll miss in the weeks before I see her again.

Three year old Brandon chatters to me about his new room and I listen with half an ear, while still trying to get a quick nap before I start back. Too soon the time passes. 

“Will you be okay, Mom,” Danny asks as I turn away, trying to hide my tears as I get in the car.  Throat too tight to speak, I nod a yes to him, while knowing that, no, I won’t be okay. 

On the road back home, my mind replays the final moments of our visit.  I know that I’ll be visiting often.  But, I also know that like all mom’s, no matter how often I visit, there will always be a void in my heart.  A void that’s always left when a kid moves away from home.  A void that will never be filled, no matter how busy I stay, no matter how beautiful the day, no matter how happy I am with what I am doing in that particular moment.

God made moms special.  I try to remember that.  The love he gave us for our children is supposed to be a gift, not a burden, but… sometimes, I could stand to be just a little less gifted… Sharon

Copyright by: Sharon L. Romine March 2001