Skip to main content

Running like the devil, or how my friend is dealing with her empty nest

This weekend was Homecoming, and it was full of activities including soccer games, the dance, etc. Daughter played on Saturday, in a fierce game against a new high school. The battle was hard fought, but unfortunately lost. By one point. It was sad, but I was incredibly proud of the girls. They held their heads high and several were heard to say, 'Those girls are good. They wanted it, they earned it. Losing sucks, but if you have to, losing like that is ok.'

Daughter was also voted Homecoming Queen. Seriously. How cool is that?? She didn't even tell us she was in the running. But she looks super cute adorned with her tiara...that's all I'm sayin'.

Some of the best conversations occur between us spectators, on the sidelines, while the game is being played. There's the usual bitching about refs, in which I refuse to engage unless we're faced with a ref whose skills are endangering the girls' physical well being. There's the predictable 'soccer takes up so much of our time' whining, another one in which I refuse to participate. The girls don't have to play, after all. If they do, they need to be there, you know?

Seriously.

Anyway, one of the topics in which I have played an active conversant of late has been the whole emptying nest thing. Three years ago we sent our son off to NYC, and for a few months I felt fragile and sad and elated all at the same time that he'd earned a place in a great school..so far away from us.

Other parents have been going through this as well, and all handle the transition differently.

This weekend as I was watching Daughter's game, a dad from last year came up and chatted for a bit. Their nest is empty, as their daughter is a year older than ours and their older son has been away as long as ours has.

They're now officially alone. In an impressive house in the heights. Lots of room to wander around and wallow in self-indulgent parent nostalgia reminisce if one is so inclined.

But, that's not how they're gonna do it. Mom decided that she didn't want to work even more at her medical practice (which could have been a way for her to deal with this...), and that shopping in every free hour wasn't an option either, at least long-term. So she decided to run. A half marathon.

Nice, huh? Turns out her daughter, who no longer plays soccer, has taken up running as an exercise and good way to manage college stress. She's going to run in the half, too. During parents' weekend at her school. And so is Dad, who is now training with a buddy of his.

Constructive way to deal with the 'now what the hell are we going to do with all of this time/each other?' issue, isn't it?
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

It might have been the moon

 The second Super Moon, also a Harvest Moon, just happened. On the same night I had my mini-meltdown. (see prior post). I've talked with several friends who reported intense emotions, mostly around stuff that needs to be released, resolved. When I think about my angst, and how intense it felt, I realize it was all about that kind of stuff. Old stuff, patterns, thinking, habits. So maybe the moon precipitated things. The bubbling up of angst and anger and icky stuff lasted all that night, but had calmed by yesterday morning. Thank gawd, because that was a morass of darkness, the likes of which I haven't experienced in at least a decade. The rest of the weekend has been pleasant. Uneventful. Full of errands, chores, a really nice walk this morning, yummy food, naps, etc. The one thing about energy that feels constant is that no mood lasts forever. Energy continually shifts and morphs, like the Universe knows too much, too long, of any one sentiment just isn't a good idea for ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Experiencing system issues

Last night we booked my return flight from Rhode Island. The one I'll be taking once I've situated Daughter in her dorm digs. We used rapid rewards, which tends to take a little longer than other transactions. But still. We were on the phone for almost an hour. An hour! Really? And we had to give them the credit card number 5 times. For one flight and one rental car. I'm just sayin' you guys may be the best bet out there in terms of airline choices, but come on! At least provide fun Hold music if you're going to make people engage for that long. Seriously.
Post a Comment
Read more

It's been a minute

Oh, what a summer it's been! Heat, the likes of which we have never seen seems to be enveloping the planet. They told us this would happen, and it is.  Now what? Is it time to think underground bunkers? To really explore moon colonies? To continue, on an individual basis to do what we feel we can to help the greater effort? We bought a hybrid two years ago. We'll probably buy an electric car once we feel like the infrastructure is in place, but right now, it's not.  We recycle. Glass ( WHO is drinking all of that wine?! I ask myself each time I toss the bottles into the big bin.). Food. We compost all but animal products, and use it in the garden.  Cardboard/cans/plastics go in the recycle bin each Tuesday. My husband thinks the whole recycle thing is a big scam, and that all of the recycling and trash gets taken to the same place - the dump - because there isn't adequate staffing to sort and really carry out the recycle process.  I feel this is a cynical view, but ...
Post a Comment
Read more