It’s only been four months and I still want to pinch myself. It’s been fourteen years since I have lived in the same town as you. Honestly, it gives me a lumpy feeling in my throat and I feel like crying, but I’m trying to hold back the tears. Motherhood teaches us a lot of lessons, but one particular and shocking lesson that I learned after becoming a mother was how much I want you around. But this isn’t necessarily for the reasons you might be thinking. I mean, the free babysitting is an added perk, but my reasons are a little more genuine.
When you have kids, everyone prepares you for the overwhelming love you feel for them and the newfound love and respect you feel for your spouse. But nobody really prepared me for the new love and respect I would feel towards you as my parents and my children’s grandparents. I distinctly remember you both holding my babies for the first time and the flutters of overwhelming happiness and love I felt in my heart. I always knew how much you loved me, but was completely naïve to the fact that you would love my children just as much.
You reminded me often before I became a mother that once I did, I would finally understand the depth of your love for me, and boy were you right {you usually are}. The moment I held Avery in my arms, my whole life flashed before my eyes like a movie trailer and all of these fleeting memories of my childhood came to life again. From family holidays, birthday parties, sporting events and seeing you the in crowd, to more pivotal moments like high school and college graduation, you were there to love me and support me through it all.
I recalled memories of baking our favorite Christmas cookies with mom and sneaking bites of them from the garage {in the Midwest winters, our garage was our second refrigerator} without being caught, to watching dad play softball with his high school buddies every Friday night while all of us kids ran around with our friends. I had a whole new appreciation for my childhood and the memories I loved and cherished the most. I was now going to be able to recreate them in a new and similar way through my children’s eyes.
The last four years of raising Avery and Myles without you around has been hard for me. Each time that you came to see us and had to leave again, it left me a bit broken-hearted. I never told you, but I yearned for a time when the next visit would be a few days away, instead of a few months. I often found myself looking around and being envious of friends and family who had loved ones close by to share their life with. Life was coming full circle for me and I couldn’t help but feel like something was missing. I wanted you both around for all of the small stuff like making you dinner, stopping by your house for morning coffee or having you attend one of the kids’ sporting events.
About a year ago, you posed the idea of moving to Texas to continue living out your retirement dreams. Being from the Midwest, you were looking forward to spending your winters in sunshine and warmer weather and of course, living close to my family. I’m not sure why, but until that point, I never really considered the fact that living close to you again was ever going to be a reality.
So yes, I still want to pinch myself. You now live seven minutes down the road, and some days, I still can’t believe it. You had the opportunity to live anywhere you wanted to, but you chose to live by us. It’s a perfect example of the type of people and parents that you are and always have been. You are always putting others and your loved ones first. I appreciate you more than you know.
I look forward to creating many family memories that one day my children will look back on in the same loving way that I have about mine. In the end, it’s not about the experiences of life, but WHO we share the experiences in life with. As long as I’m here, I’ll never stop wanting you around. I’m pretty sure you are ok with that too.
Pin this post and be sure to follow Houston Moms Blog on Pinterest!
So very proud of the lovely woman you are. Thank you very much for the kind words. My heart if full.
Thanks mom.
Beautiful words!!
Thank you Susan!
It looks like you have other siblings, are they still in the Midwest? I would love for my parents to move by us also in Texas from the Midwest but the rest of my family is still in the Midwest, if my parents moved then my siblings and their kids also wouldn’t have my parents so it’s kinda a no win.
Hi Amy. Yes, I have siblings who have kids that still live in the Midwest. My parents were looking to relocate and we were just glad it was by us:)