Monday, August 17, 2009
Go West, Young Man...
Time flies. I can't believe I haven't posted since July 2. And the fact that the past 6 weeks have flown by is truly a microcosm of what we'll be doing tomorrow - loading up Aaron's belongings and moving him to St. Louis for his first year of college. With this occassion only a day away, it seems like the past 19 years have flown by almost as swiftly as the days since July 2nd.
I remember the day Aaron was born like it was yesterday; June 22, 1990. I came home from work (on June 21st) and Julie was out trimming the bushes along the side of our garage. She said she felt like it was time to head to the hospital and about 7 and a half hours later, at 1:30 am - Aaron was born. I was actually very glad that he was a boy - Judd was only 18 months old at the time and I wanted them to grow up to be best of friends; and I think they have.
I'm feeling alot of the same emotions with Aaron that I felt when we moved Judd to school two years ago but for some reason I think this move is going to be a bit more difficult to accept. We only moved Judd 35 miles up the road to Dayton - Aaron is going to be well over 3oo miles away - not a distance you can easily travel from if you want to go home for the weekend. I find myself tearing up quite a bit, I'm going to miss him so much. It's not going to seem right walking by their room and seeing two empty beds night after night - its a room that has been filled with love and life since we moved to the house in 1991. There's a growth chart on the wall that has documented their height for the past 15 years. There are toys and keepsakes that they've saved over the years -Pokemon and sports cards, beanie babies, ball caps, books, awards and movie posters - everything will still be there except them. It's hard to believe. I'm going to miss the laughter, the teasing back and forth, the way Judd would pester the hell out of Aaron - constantly asking him if he wants to snuggle. So many wonderful moments. I've dreaded this day for so many years and now it's a day away.
Aaron is taking on a pretty big challenge, he is planning to study Civil Engineering. He knows it won't be easy, he knows he's going to need to work hard. He's about to meet friends that may last a lifetime, he may meet his future wife. I only hope that his four years of college are as much fun for him as they were for me. As sad as I am to see him head to school, I'm excited for him. I think he's a little nervous, I'm sure he wonders what the next four years will bring. Hopefully, he'll get there and hit the ground running. I just hope when his four years at SLU are over, he comes back home to live in Cincinnati. And if he wants, he can move back in to his old bedroom - I'd like that - at least for a while. But for now - I'm dreading leaving him behind on Wednesday but already looking forward to Thanksgiving when Judd and Aaron are back home again, together in their bedroom; sharing college stories and being best friends.
I remember the day Aaron was born like it was yesterday; June 22, 1990. I came home from work (on June 21st) and Julie was out trimming the bushes along the side of our garage. She said she felt like it was time to head to the hospital and about 7 and a half hours later, at 1:30 am - Aaron was born. I was actually very glad that he was a boy - Judd was only 18 months old at the time and I wanted them to grow up to be best of friends; and I think they have.
I'm feeling alot of the same emotions with Aaron that I felt when we moved Judd to school two years ago but for some reason I think this move is going to be a bit more difficult to accept. We only moved Judd 35 miles up the road to Dayton - Aaron is going to be well over 3oo miles away - not a distance you can easily travel from if you want to go home for the weekend. I find myself tearing up quite a bit, I'm going to miss him so much. It's not going to seem right walking by their room and seeing two empty beds night after night - its a room that has been filled with love and life since we moved to the house in 1991. There's a growth chart on the wall that has documented their height for the past 15 years. There are toys and keepsakes that they've saved over the years -Pokemon and sports cards, beanie babies, ball caps, books, awards and movie posters - everything will still be there except them. It's hard to believe. I'm going to miss the laughter, the teasing back and forth, the way Judd would pester the hell out of Aaron - constantly asking him if he wants to snuggle. So many wonderful moments. I've dreaded this day for so many years and now it's a day away.
Aaron is taking on a pretty big challenge, he is planning to study Civil Engineering. He knows it won't be easy, he knows he's going to need to work hard. He's about to meet friends that may last a lifetime, he may meet his future wife. I only hope that his four years of college are as much fun for him as they were for me. As sad as I am to see him head to school, I'm excited for him. I think he's a little nervous, I'm sure he wonders what the next four years will bring. Hopefully, he'll get there and hit the ground running. I just hope when his four years at SLU are over, he comes back home to live in Cincinnati. And if he wants, he can move back in to his old bedroom - I'd like that - at least for a while. But for now - I'm dreading leaving him behind on Wednesday but already looking forward to Thanksgiving when Judd and Aaron are back home again, together in their bedroom; sharing college stories and being best friends.
