Parents..

Remember when you were in high school and hanging out with your parents was an obligation? By obligation, I mean something that you may or may not HAVE to do, usually don’t want to do, but that you should do and usually feel guilty if you don’t. Oh, Mom and Dad are going out to dinner and they’ve invited me, I guess I should go type of thing. They obviously need their teenage kids in their boring lives to feel cool. After all, they are clinging to their youth like a 2 year old to a ring pop! Their lives revolve around their kids. When I was in middle and high school, I played sports year round. Although my parents both worked full-time jobs, neither one of them ever missed a game or weekend tournament, they even made most of my away games when I played a little bit in college. Do you remember how guilty you felt leaving them ALONE when you went to college? In my household, I was the last child out of the nest, therefore my brothers left that guilt for their poor little sister to bear. Thanks guys. Anyway, I cried on the first day of college, and not because I was sad to leave home, but I was sad for my parents. How on earth were they ever going to live without me? Would they even talk to each other…and if so what the hell would they talk about? The topic of conversation was always me or the dogs, and with me gone and only one dog left how were they going to make it?

They made it. I remember calling home a few days after I had moved in to college and nobody answered. I called Mom’s cell…no answer. Starting to get nervous. (I have an anxiety issue if you haven’t already noticed by some of the other posts!) Dad’s cell….nothing. Something must be wrong. I called my brother and sister in law who live very near my parents…an answer. Finally…”Have you heard from Mom and Dad?” They hadn’t. I was panicked. Oh my gosh, they must be in the hospital, there must have been a horrific car accident. I was about 30 seconds from calling all of the local hospitals, when my phone rang. It was my mom. They were fine and had been out to eat. Without me. What?

It sure didn’t take long for them to get on with their lives. I’m thinking that “empty nest syndrome” is something that they like us to believe in, but may not really exist!  It’s been a while…a little while…since college now, but as I write this, my parents are in EUROPE! They are there visiting family and probably having the time of their lives, I hope they are! This is a far cry from the days of traveling to different cities to watch me play volleyball…this is EUROPE!

When we are little our parents are our whole world. Daddy is a superhero and all little boys want to marry their moms. And then teenagers become teenagers and parents become lame. When exactly do parents become cool again? I think that magical moment happens when kids become adults and accept the fact that they don’t know EVERYTHING and are able to admit that their parents were actually right. Sometimes I still struggle with this, the admitting part at least! Hope you have the time of your lives in Europe, even though it’s without me! Miss you and love you both!