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One of my daughters once told me that the paradox of parenting is that if you do your job correctly, someday your kids will all leave you. Apparently we did something right.

Early in the morning on a bright summer day last August, we watched as the giant white bird lifted off the ground bound for France, holding the last chick from the nest. We stayed until the speck of plane was gone. Our nest was officially empty.

My husband and I sat in silence in the restaurant down the road from the airport looking somewhat stunned. We knew a year ahead this was coming but it was like losing a loved one to a terminal illness. You know its coming but it doesn't make it any easier when it happens. I commented on the landscaping. We ate something, some kind of breakfast food. I have no recollection of what it was.

From seven children to none, the nest trickled out one at a time but the last one left was the second to youngest, the perpetual student, Mommy's girl. Then she was gone. When she made her decision to study and work overseas it was pretty big for all of us. Not only was she the last chick in the nest, she was also the most sensible and sensitive. She was not just leaving, but leaving the country to live and work with total strangers.

The weeks since have been quiet. She was the one with the most infectious laugh, so often the house seems like a cave. We talk to our fledgling once a week. I am learning French in my car on the way to work. You can see the counter in the bathroom now as all the make-up and flat irons are gone. The pile of her shoes that accumulated by the door and was always a source of contention is gone. My shoes are moving in. I am taking up dog walking because her dog is driving me crazy. I miss her big fat horse. My husband, who has always been the cook is learning to portion for two. We eat out more.

Her Dad and I are starting to find things to do without kids. His coping mechanism involved a large new shiny red lawn tractor/mover with a snow blade, interesting to have in August. It's turned out to be very handy to move mulch around.

Without school and other kid related activities we are finding weekend time to clear and renovate. The "guest" bathroom (formerly the kid's bathroom) is now clean, the yard is shaping up with the removal of animal pens from former 4H projects and we are meeting more of our neighbors while we attempt landscaping. Sometimes we even lay in bed until 10 a.m. on Saturday, then we go out to breakfast.

I think we should adopt the girl at the landfill who weighs out vehicle and takes our money each week.

Learn more about this author, Ginger Sanders.
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