Getting the emotional rug pulled out from under us
2.27.09
I’ve been e-mailing with a friend who’s the mother of one of Sean’s friends. Her daughter is one of those people who makes it a priority to see Sean when they’re both home, and he, likewise, makes sure that he gets together with her. At spring break, they’re planning to go together to see the play that Claire will be in.
The longer we corresponded, the more evident it became that we both worry about our respective kids, but about different things. My friend worries about the multi-hour car trips that her daughter makes back and forth to her out-of-state school. I don’t have to worry about that, of course, but I worry instead about Sean riding his bike around campus, and even about what could happen as he crosses University Avenue on foot. (Anyone who drives on campus knows how crazy it can be sometimes, especially during passing times between classes.)
And then we talked about how school breaks are unintentionally — but somehow diabolically — timed so that just as we think we’re out of the woods and have gotten used to our kids being gone… and we’re doing well and feeling emotionally safe… and we’re pleased with ourselves that we’ve actually adjusted quite nobly to this new life, thank you very much… they come home and mess us up again! And then we have to wallow around in our emotions for a while all over again after they leave.
It’s going to happen again very soon, so get ready: the emotional rug’s going to be pulled out from under us. Sigh…
The longer we corresponded, the more evident it became that we both worry about our respective kids, but about different things. My friend worries about the multi-hour car trips that her daughter makes back and forth to her out-of-state school. I don’t have to worry about that, of course, but I worry instead about Sean riding his bike around campus, and even about what could happen as he crosses University Avenue on foot. (Anyone who drives on campus knows how crazy it can be sometimes, especially during passing times between classes.)
And then we talked about how school breaks are unintentionally — but somehow diabolically — timed so that just as we think we’re out of the woods and have gotten used to our kids being gone… and we’re doing well and feeling emotionally safe… and we’re pleased with ourselves that we’ve actually adjusted quite nobly to this new life, thank you very much… they come home and mess us up again! And then we have to wallow around in our emotions for a while all over again after they leave.
It’s going to happen again very soon, so get ready: the emotional rug’s going to be pulled out from under us. Sigh…
