Christmas
2016
On
the morning of August 31, 2016, my kids gathered in the kitchen before the
girls left for school for one more group hug.
They do that a lot, those three, but the hugs usually end up with Kyle
tickling the girls and hilarity ensuing. Not so this particular morning. This time, the hug ended with tears and “I
love yous” and “I’ll miss you so much” Kyle was leaving later that day for a
semester studying at the University of Luneburg in Germany, and the hug was
their goodbye. He would be gone when
they got home from school.
Kirk
and I drove Kyle to the airport, checked his bag, and walked with him to
security. We got our hugs too, along
with final words of wisdom…Keep a copy of your passport with you at all
time…Don’t leave your things unattended…Pay attention to your surroundings…We
stood there while he passed through the gate, got his shoes back on, and headed
down the terminal, getting smaller and smaller until he turned the corner and
was out of sight. I cried then. I felt like that dad in the car commercial
handing keys to his daughter who he still sees as a preschooler.
Kirk
headed on to work, but I wanted to stay until Kyle’s plane had taken off in
case there was a delay. I decided to
drive over to the cell phone lot and watch from there. I texted Kyle to see where he was on the
plane, and luckily, he was on the side facing me. I waved.
He said he saw me. I stood there
watching, waiting until the plane pulled away from the terminal and began to
taxi down the runway. Tears streaming
down my face, I jumped up and down and waved my arms as it lifted off, hoping
Kyle could see me as he began the adventure of a lifetime. He will miss Christmas for the first time
this year (he’s spending it in Ireland, so don’t feel too bad for him!) and
gets home on Jan. 4. We can’t wait to
see him!
Kyle
is not the only one who we had to let fly this year. Claire spent 5 weeks at Morehead University
this summer participating in the Governor’s Scholar Program. Then she spent another week doing service
work in Kentucky with Y-Corps, so she was gone for much of the summer. Now she is busy finishing up college
applications and scholarship essays. I
can’t believe she’s almost in her final semester of high school.
Emily
and I hung out a lot this summer. It was
nice, but weird, just having one child at home.
For most of July, we drove back
and forth to New Albany as she rehearsed for Hairspray with New Albany
RiverStage Theater. She started Sacred
Heart and jumped right in and got a role in 42nd Street, joined the
Y-Club and the choir. She’s made tons of
new friends and loves school.
Kirk
celebrates a year at The Jump Agency and is still doing National Guard on the
weekends. I got a very part-time job
at…wait for it…Locust Grove! I’m working
on the occasional weekend in the Visitor’s Center doing visitor center
things. I have spent enough time there
over the years, might as well get paid for it!
As
we wind up 2016, may you find yourself surrounded by the ones you love,
embraced in the biggest group hug you could ever ask for, and may it always end
in hilarity!
Peace!
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