An Empty Room

The week-end was truly the end of an era for us. We moved all the rest of Melanie's things to her new apartment, and her room lies bare. We officially have no children at home with us. A funny feeling.
First off I had no idea a person could have so much in one room, but Melanie did. By late this afternoon it was all packed and ready to be moved by Casimir and Emery. Casimir looking a bit overwhelmed by the amount of stuff, but full of anticipation for these things were going to part of his future home, Emery on the other hand, looked sad like the typical father seeing his daughter all grown up and leaving home. It seemed a preview of how he would look when he turns her over to Casimir at the wedding. I remember how Emery cried when James called to ask permission to marry Melissa . Emery went out back to walk the land and shed his tears in private. An old fashioned man, wanting to be alone in his letting go.
Emery is an exceptional father. Tender, strong, honorable, a good example. Always there for the children and never looses patience with them.
He now tenderly packed away things like an old stuffed teddy bear, Irish Step dancing metals, and step dancing shoes, stopping to pause and remember times past, looking a bit misty eyed.
We have always had so much fun with our children and still do but its another chapter now, another book really. Emery packed these items with all the memories attached to them in our car and took them to her new home.
Since we gave her our living room furniture, and with the moving boxes all gone, our living room looked rather stark.
Two chairs, one piano and that is about it. Sitting in my rocker tonight I couldn't help but feel good about life, sad a bit yes, but deeper down, below the surface emotions, I knew how blessed we are to have children grown into good people, happy and in love. Building homes and futures. Healthy and contributing to society in very positive ways. That is what we raised them for, which also meant that we would some day let them go. I always loved what Kahlil Gibran wrote about children in his book "The Prophet". I read these words long before I was married and vowed to remember them when I became a parent. They are profound words of wisdom .....

On Children
"And a woman who held a babe against her bosom said, "Speak to us of Children."
And he said:
Your children are not your children.
They are the sons and daughters of Life's longing for itself.
They come through you but not from you,
And though they are with you, yet they belong not to you.
You may give them your love but not your thoughts.
For they have their own thoughts.
You may house their bodies but not their souls,
For their souls dwell in the house of tomorrow, which you cannot visit, not even in your dreams.
You may strive to be like them, but seek not to make them like you.
For life goes not backward nor tarries with yesterday.
You are the bows from which your children as living arrows are sent forth.
The archer sees the mark upon the path of the infinite, and He bends you with His might that His arrows may go swift and far.
Let your bending in the archer's hand be for gladness;
For even as He loves the arrow that flies, so He loves also the bow that is stable."

By next week I will have my new furniture I suppose. That is if we find time to shop for it. The room will look different than it ever has. Our old furniture was purchased in 1988. Melissa just 8 years old and Melanie just 5 years old. Time passes and things change, including the furniture !