"Saying good bye is when it hurts most to be human."
We stood in the doorway and watched my youngest son, Ethan, back his car out of the driveway, honk the horn, give a wave, and drive off. In stillness we stared down the street until the tail lights of his car were no longer in sight and then closed the door without saying a word.
Ethan, a sophomore at Youngstown State University, made a surprise visit home this weekend; it was so good to see him. Youngstown State is a four hour trip from our home in Springfield, so we don’t get to see him as often as we would like. We spent our short time together catching up, watching a movie, doing laundry, and serving him up large amounts of home cooking.
Like a thief in the night the weekend was over and it was time for my son to make the long trek back to his new home and new life. Watching him drive away I could not help, but to swell with a fathers pride for all of Ethan’s accomplishments, but mostly for the man he is becoming.
As I shut the door I wiped the tear from my eye then realized once again, that "saying good bye is when it hurts most to be human."
2 comments:
I know. I know this feeling too well.
I think it speaks volumes about the kind of father you are. If you weren't such a good one, it wouldn't hurt so much.
Rick, this blog really shows how much you love your son. You are a blessing to your family, and I hope you know that.
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