<p>It's Sunday night, and after a whirlwind week and a rushed departure this morning, spring break is over and D is safely back in her dorm room. She was busy with friends during the break, and had a visitor staying with us the last few days, so we didn't get any of our long mom-and-daughter talks. Which was OK, we did see alot of her in short snippets, and the time was definitely fun. In 6 short weeks, she'll be home for summer.</p>
<p>I remember this last-night melancholy from my student days, and never realized that my parents felt it too. Tonight the house is so quiet, with just DH and me. I miss the energy and commotion. Life is back to normal, doing the weekend laundry and preparing for the coming work week. We don't have to leave the front door unlocked for a late-night return. Don't have to think about what the girls will have for breakfast tomorrow long after I've left for work, or whether to slip D a $20 "just in case." The cats are wandering around the house, looking for the girls.</p>
<p>I know from long, long experience that this is for tonight only. There's nothing to be done about it except perhaps a cleansing cry, and Monday morning's bustle will sweep it away in any case. But this Sunday night, I'm just missing my baby.</p>
<p>Yours came home! Be glad for that. Mine is off on a school thing and we will travel to see her next weekend - for about 2 hours.<br>
I do feel for you, I know how lonely those post-departure hours are.</p>
<p>I feel for you (and for me!) DD has been home for 2 weeks, and is going back to a country 6400 miles away where she lives… We plan to visit this summer for a few weeks, but it’s still too dang far away.</p>
<p>I’m right there with you, OP. I was gone part of the time my son was home, but we did get to spend some time together and I realized, again, how much I miss his humor and way of seeing things, and just how much I miss him. Just when I had gotten used to him being gone. <em>sigh</em> Sunday night is the worst. I’m glad you posted here, so at least I know I’m not alone with my “Last-Night-of-Break-Blues”.</p>
<p>BTW – Please take my post for what it is, a bit of self-indulgence from an essentially grateful mom. I know that there are parents who didn’t see their kids at all for the break, or whose kids are having various kinds of problems. I know that for you, this is not a light topic at all. If I hurt anyone, I’m truly sorry.</p>
<p>My D’s break is next week, and I know she is not coming home. She was here last weekend for a couple of days and it was lovely. When she leaves it always hurts, and I dread the “last night of break blues.” In my head I know that this is how it’s meant to be and I am so glad she is happy and has her own life. But my eyes miss seeing her, my ears miss hearing her laugh and my hugs miss her… She will not live with me again, unless she has no choice, and I don’t want that for her. Of course if there is no choice, then it will be fine, but I think she would think of it as moving backwards. We all want our children to move forward and find their places. It is a loss for us, though, isn’t it? Does it ever get easier? Yes. Does it ever completely go away? No. They’re our children. Sigh…</p>
<p>Thanks for being the one to say it, again, LasMa. </p>
<p>D only came home for a few days for spring break and then was off to do other things. It’s just amazing how grown up she is, now, just making plans and and figuring out her summer plans, and I took a step back at one point and kind of marvelled at the fact that this time last year we were still in the deciding where to go process and she seemed a lot younger, at least to me.</p>
<p>The last day she was home, though, she did not get up off of the couch and I really spoiled her and spent a lot of time on the couch WITH her, but gave her a lot of time to herself as well. She said, “Next year, maybe I’ll just come home for the whole break and lie on the couch.” I never thought I’d smile to hear one of my kids planning to be lazy. ;)</p>
We plan to visit this summer for a few weeks, but it’s still too dang far away.</p>