Can you remember being a child,
on Christmas Eve?
The excitement, the anticipation?
The day seemed endless,
and the thought of tomorrow,
and all it would bring,
made it impossible,
to sit still, eat or think clearly.
Well today is such a day for me.
Tomorrow, after an absence of almost three months,
my eldest daughter returns home.
She has been holidaying working hard,
in the United States since May.
I remember clearly the sadness felt,
as I said “Goodbye” to her at the airport.
The other parents seemed to find it easy,
but I had to hurriedly leave,
due to a temporary over production of tears.
As I left,
my daughters words rang clearly in my ears,
“Oh mum, you’re a disaster”.
The feelings I had that day,
as I “bravely” waved her off,
were that parenting seemed to be,
all about good byes and endings.
The bonds that we believe,
will tie us forever,
so closely with our children,
are in fact not unbreakable.
The realization as I waved her off,
that that bond,
between my first born and I was loosening,
was gut wrenching.
I was helpless to stop it.
She was growing up.
She was an adult.
It is now three months later.
For many of you that time flew by,
but for myself I counted it,
not in months, but days.
We’ve had a wonderful Summer,
but without one of our brood,
something was missing.
However tomorrow she returns.
Just over twenty four hours to go.
As I go about my daily tasks,
every so often my heart leaps in my chest,
she is coming home.
Even when I do not remember,
I can still feel a smile on my face,
and inside in my heart,
there is a lightness and joy,
because even when I forget,
my heart remembers without prompting,
that a piece of it that I gave away,
is returning.
Just one more sleep!
photo credit: Guimo. via photopin cc
photo credit: rachel_titiriga via photopin cc
My thoughts on a page. 
Oh dear, I see more tears on the horizon – this time tears of joy
be sure to take plenty of tissues when you go to pick her up !
P.S. i think by now you know i’ve got a weird sense of humour. When No2 son was returning home from a trip abroad with some friends (he was 16-17yr old at the time, I think), I agreed to pick them up from the airport
They’d only been gone a couple of weeks but I prepared a big piece of card with his name written on it in big bold black letters. When I saw him and his friends and the other passengers on his flight snaking towards me, I pretended not to see him – acting like he’d been gone so long I’d forgotten what he looked like – and wandered up and down the line calling out his name and holding my sign up in front of my face. For some reason, he didn’t think it was funny – though his friends did !
Go on, I dare you ! 😆
That is priceless, yet from what I know of you via blogging, so what I would expect from you. She would absolutely murder me but if my husband was not working he said he would love to do this and I know he would too!
I am not sure there will be tears but I can’t wait. She has requested home made soup and brown bread! Whats new not even home and organizing us all.
I know that feeling! Every time one of them goes away I am so overjoyed to get them back. You put it so beautifully.
Thank you.So you too have had the “Good bye”. It will be wonderful to have her home. As you have gathered I can’t wait. 🙂
Well so far my “Good byes” have been temporary – I am still waiting for the big one! I shall be hopeless when it comes: the little ones are bad enough. They change so much even if they are away from you just for a week.
It’s always hard for a mother to let one of her chicks fly away! So great that she is returning.
I remember the feeling so well! When my daughter went off to Europe for sixth months, I cried to let her go, but I was literally shaking like a leaf when I went to pick her up again.
Enjoy tomorrow, Mamma Bear!
Thank you I can’t believe she will be back with us tomorrow! I look forward to that shaking.
And that cooking!
i’m so happy for you, and i don’t know how you even slept at all!
Aww! Happy homecoming! (For both of you!)
Thank you. At least today has arrived. Not long now. I just can’t wait to see her sitting once more in the kitchen.
Yahoo! Have a great reunion.
She is home now a few hours and I still have no words to describe it. I will just understate it and say I am happy.
So very excited for the both of you! Mine go away to camp for a day and whilst I am more than thrilled to see them drive off in the yellow bus, by the day’s end I am super excited to pick them up again. I can’t quite get a grasp on the enormity of what you must be feeling!
Enjoy every minute of the reunion.
I just answered another comment saying that she is home a few hours now and I have no words to describe it. It’s great to be a family again.
Such a beautiful post. I’m sure the “reunion” at the airport was emotional. I’m sure she missed you (and your homemade soup and bread).
Thank you. She is home and tucked up in her own bed as I type. It is lovely to pass her room these days and hear the music blasting. I’m still smiling!