Looking at them as we made our way to the gate and last farewell,
it looked like they were ready to go once more as a family of five,
Tehya carrying someone's carry-on on her back,
willing herself to let her family go.
I felt a subtle shift I can't quite put into words,
my daughter being the mother -
in the goodbye that spans the ocean.
Of course a mother can't forget
the feeling that seems like it will be forever,
so it came as a surprise to me that
life has truly come full circle.
Tehya came home with us.
She and Papa cleaned up leaves and then put up lights.
On Sunday we went for a hike in the rain.
It's so surreal to me that the toddler we left at the gate in 2004
is now a young lady,
adventurous, confident, thoughtful, beautiful
and she's happy to spend time with us.
I keep saying it, like I'm surprised,
She knows us!
Even with the passing of time,
this college girl will keep us young
as much as she loves that we are old,
a paradox of sorts.
We love this girl who made us Papa and Grammy.
10 comments:
How special that you get to enjoy your oldest grandchild in a new way! It reminds me of last summer when we had the privilege of hosting our oldest grandson for 8 weeks while he earned money stateside for college. He'd said good-bye to his parents in Mexico.
Hello Ruthie, thank you for visiting! It's so good to hear a bit from you!
I love the memory of meeting you in PA and randomly finding out about our connection to the same friends. Hope you and yours are all well.
Aw Anneliese - such a sweet post and observations of the circle of motherhood and letting go. This will be a special season with your sweet granddaughter! She's blessed to have a Mimi like you to live with. You are making forever memories for all!
Such a sweet and bittersweet post. It brings back memories of when our eldest left us all behind in Quito and flew home to live with her grandparents when she started university. Cycles and circles. You are blessed to have her with you, and she with you.
Oh Lorrie, you surely understand having to let your daughter go and getting used to a "smaller" famiy to set the table for. It truly was surreal to be the ones on this end.
Rosella, our granddaughter is attenting Bible College near by. She lives on campus and we have a room for her when she can come. We feel so blessed that she chose a school close to us. She calls us Papa and Grammy. ( I'm Grammy to the first ones and someone down the line called me Mimi and that's what stuck for the local ones)
A very special time for you to spend with your granddaughter.
It must have been so difficult for both her and her family when they said goodbye at the airport.
We are caregivers for our youngest grandchild - age 1 1/2 - when her parents are at work. I feel blessed that we can spend time with her, while missing the other grandchildren who are in school and we are not able to see them like we used to.
Enjoy your time with this special young lady.
Helen
So wonderful that she chose a school near you and can come "home" when she wants to! She will have a great college experience. Noa calls me Nammie and Sully calls me Meme.
So sweet. How wonderful that she has a good relationship with you and can have the comfort of home even though her mom, dad, and siblings are continents away.
The subtle shift you write about...you constantly amaze me with your emotional perceptiveness of moments.
What a blessed young woman she is to have her grandparents close by in physical distance and in heart too.
I know how your daughter feels relinquishing a daughter to college and I know how you feel the joy of having a granddaughter close to home. You're there to bridge the gap; providing assurance to both of them as they transition into the mother/adult daughter years.
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