Saying Goodbye

Alyssa leaves for Europe in the morning. It is time for mom to say good-bye again. It is good - the rite of passage - we send off the children and in turn hope to grow ourselves. Alan, Alyssa, Lessa and I went to the Potbelly's in Gurnee for a sandwich. Alan and Alyssa did their usual playing around at the table. They had a couple of guys singing songs for us. The first one was Knocking on Heaven's Door followed by "Oh, Pretty Woman (Roy Orbison), followed by Hotel California. I of course sang all the dire warnings in Hotel California to the girls. Each song leaving another pang in my heart. We said good-bye to Lessa too, as she joins the Navy August 6, 2007. We think of Lessa as our "other daughter", so it is painful that we lose both so close together. I know that Lessa's leaving is probably enabling Alyssa to take this big step and go to Europe for 10 months and see the world. May she find that there is more out there - and let it inspire her.

So I was playing with my primary list in Itunes. Near the top is Barefoot Children by Jimmy Buffet. I love that song from his Barometer Soup album. We listened to that album from Illinois to Alabama when Aly was 8 taking the boys to Space camp. And we played it over and over and over and over. I miss those days when she was 8, Richard was 10 and AJ was 12. I know they are doing just fine, but it really went by too fast. So in memory of that wonderful trip to space camp and then Disney World...

Scratch my back with a lightning bolt
Thunder rolls like a bass drum note
The sound of the weather is Heaven's ragtime band
We all fell down from the Milky Way
Hangin' round here till Judgment Day
Heaven only knows who's in command

Barefoot children in the rain
Got no need to explain
We'd be swingin' on a ball and chain
It's always understood by those who play the game
Barefoot children in the rain

Show me yours and I'll show you mine
Take me back to days full of monkeyshines
Bouncin' on a bubble full of trouble in the summer sun
Keep your raft from the riverboat
Fiction over fact always has my vote
And wrinkles only go where the smiles have been

Barefoot children in the rain
Got no need to explain
We'd be swingin' on a ball and chain
It's always understood by those who play the game
Barefoot children in the rain

By the way - it sucks being a grown-up - putting on a smile, watching them leave home and pretending you're happy about it. I'm not. Really, they can live here forever. And yes, Alan is completely comfortable being a grown-up. He loves that the kids leave home - and do their own thing. Finding their independence. Celebrating their experiences. (Take me with you). Sigh. I'll put some updates from Europe. I'll make them light and happy. Aj and Emily get married next month. Maybe I can convince them to have a baby! That would take my mind off Aly being gone. (Just kidding!)
Really AJ, I was just kidding!

PSS 277 days until Aly Returns