It'll be alright

Tonight Stephen and I fly to the other Washington where he will officially start living his own movie (I think teens start this unofficially a few years earlier). The last 18 years have authored so many amazing memories that I seriously struggle to envision life here without "31."* But just when I am in the middle of feeling sorry for myself, a certain irony helps me laugh at myself: the kids are SO excited to get going and are NOT looking back! Well, at least not much. I'm reminded of the lyrics of Peter Cetera's "One More Story," which I used to sing to Stephen when he was a wee bairn:

One more story, then it’s time for bed
One more fairy tale, then rest your weary head
One more kiss, and I’ll turn out the light
Everything’s gonna be alright
I’ll still be here when you wake up in the morning
Close your eyes, say goodnight

I can’t believe just how fast you’re growing
I’m gonna cry when you’re old enough
To go and be on your own
But until that very moment
Everything’s gonna be alright
You’ll still be here when I wake up in the morning
Close your eyes, say goodnight
Everything’s gonna be alright

And so there are new verses that need to be written, for the time that for my family starts tomorrow morning, when Stephen will be gone when we wake up in the morning.

All of this bittersweet experience must tell us something about God's own experience with us--what is it? I will be searching for the answer.

Gotta go; my eyes are leaking...

* 31 was S's football number