The hardest part about parenting is when the last one leaves the nest

Hello, awesome readers!

As I write this, my son is loading up the car with his belongings and making trips to his new condo. I know this because I’m watching him through the blink app on my phone.

He’s the last of my four children to move out.

The truth is, I’ve been dreaming about this day for years… Fantasizing about what it will be like when I have the house all to myself…

I’ll get to come home from work and eat cereal for supper on the couch. Guilt-free.

No dirty dishes in the kitchen sink. Ever.

Think of all the closet space I’ll have. Now, that’s living the dream. *Insert eye roll*

I’ll be able to walk around the house naked. Reality check: But will I? Or better yet, why would I?

*Sound of record scratching, bringing me out of my fantasy world.*

And here I am.

My son’s “big moving day” is in two days. Now that it’s really happening, I just want someone to invent a time machine.

I want to go back to the days when my kids were young and still mine.

I want to be overwhelmed by laundry and wondering what to make for supper.

I want to be able to put their tiny hands in mine as we walk to the park.

I want to pick them up and read to them while they snuggle in my lap.

I want to tuck their little bodies in at the end of a long, exhausting day and kiss them good night.

But those days are now gone.

This morning started with my son driving me to work so that he could use my car to move the little things. From the driver’s seat, he glanced over at me and said, “So, what kind of day are you going to have?”

Hearing these familiar words, I took a deep breath and smiled.

Then he said, “A good one, right? Because it’s your decision.”

A lump the size of a small grapefruit gathered in my throat. This is what I used to say to him when I drove him to school. The question and reminder were a routine part of our commute. (Along with belting out the lyrics to Kesha’s song, “Tik Tok.”)

So here I am today, considering myself reminded, and deciding to have a good day despite this melancholy mood that’s trying so hard to hijack my thoughts.

My message to you, dear readers, is this:

Embrace the overwhelm.

Enjoy the chaos.

Express your love and affection.

Every. Single. Day.

They don’t stay yours forever.

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Mona Andrei is an award-winning humour blogger and author known for her entertaining perspective on life’s quirks. In her most recent book, SUPERWOMAN: A Funny and Reflective Look at Single Motherhood, she shares a personal journey filled with challenges and triumphs, intertwining stories and insights from single mothers around the globe.

When Mona isn’t writing, you’ll find her practicing her dance moves. As a member of a competitive hip hop team, she likes to think that she’ll stay young and cool forever. She may be delusional.