Distance

What I Was Thinking . . . was how excited I am to hear that my daughter Staci will be coming home for Christmas.

You know by now that we have an empty nest, but it's not only an empty nest; the chicks have really flown the coop ... they have flown far away, but I've learned (and still learning) to make the best out of the situation I have. I was never given the privilege of being a part of Staci's dating life, nor Chris' dating life for that matter. Staci is going to school in Florida and I've missed so much of her life. I try so hard to be a part of it and I know she tries her best to make me a part of her busy life, but it is very hard. I'm very thankful that at least I've been some part of Kelsi's dating life since she lives a little closer. I just wish I had had that with Chris and Staci as well.

Staci sent me an e-mail this morning telling me she got the time off of work and she gets to come home for Christmas and Josh is coming with her! I can't even explain how excited I am. The last time I saw her was actually last Christmas. I can't believe I have to go a whole year without seeing one of my kids. How does life happen like this? I want so desperately to be close (in distance) to all three of them, but that is not the life that I will have. Chris and Sarah live in Indiana, Staci and Josh live in Florida and I've been told they want to move back east somewhere, like Connecticut or something like that and Kelsi lives in Lancaster and dating Bodi who says he doesn't want to live in California either. So what's a mother to do? Stewart and I have to figure out how we are going to keep our family relationship close even though there is distance between us. But we will figure it out. Our children mean the world to us and distance just can't matter. But oh how I love it when my kids come HOME.

That's what I was thinking,

~Tammi