My current status …

I’ve been pretty, um, I want to say ’emotional’ but, truth be told I’ve been a completely withdrawn, passive aggressive bitch.  Not just to my son.

It’s as if I want people not to like me so that it will be easy to wean myself off of them.

There’s four pretty significant things getting me down lately – but I’ll just speak on this one.

How to drive home January 6th 2017, not see my son’s car outside of our home and not completely shatter.

Let me clarify again, I am very happy for him.  I am very proud that he’s leaping headfirst into the world.  I am terrified of his 27 hour trek across the States however.

And fuck!  I’m going to miss my kid!!!!!!!

He is the only person I know or have ever met that can make me laugh every single day!  The only person I can be completely myself around and be certain I’ll be loved.

Obviously my bitchy depressed mode hasn’t gone unnoticed by him.

Evidenced by, not only my attitude, but the fact that in spite of hosting Thanksgiving this year, I hadn’t one shred of Christmas up.

I’m usually the eager Christmas beaver, wanting to festoon my home as soon as it is socially acceptable.  Not this year.   I had no joy.  No excitement.  I also spent the whole 4 1/2 days, other than Thanksgiving day, in my room.

This past Sunday, after the laundromat, I shrugged back into my pajamas and settled in to continue my very important 4 day activity … being horizontal while attending my Netflix pity party binge.

In walks my son.

Him: Let’s go to Oatman for lunch.   My treat.

Me:  I don’t want to go to Oatman.  I was going to take a nap.

Him: OK, I’m going to get ready, then we’ll go to Oatman.

Me:  Nic … I really don’t want to go anywhere.

Him: OK, we’ll go to the Hualapai’s instead.

Me: No!  That’s too far!

Him: OK, Oatman it is.

He left.  And I lay with remote in hand – 3 day old pajamas and a body awash in guilt.

The countdown has begun for the end of this chapter with my favorite person.   And I have been pushing him away instead of making each moment count.

I got up.

Ran a brush through my hair.

Swiped my eyelashes with mascara – colored my pale lips.

Dressed warmly – the gray skies were threatening to water our desert.

And found him.

And off we went.

And the moment we began driving my spirits lifted.  I was already laughing before we reached our highway.

We encountered a burro blockage as we approached our destination.

Burro was not budging.

The closer we came to Oatman, the more the burros.  Here was our escort.

We parked and sauntered into the town we’ve spent so much time together.

Stopped in all the old familiar places.  Enjoyed the warmth of an old fireplace as we ate lunch.

And then …

And then it occurred to me this might be the last time we did so together … alone.

My heart ached.

And as if on cue, as my eyes welled, the skies opened – and we walked in the rain.  Unfazed by it.  We have that in common – our love for the rain.

We took our time heading for the car.

Took our time driving.

Stopped.  Enjoyed more time in the rain.

I can honestly say the day ranked up there … one of the top 10 days I’ve ever spent with my baby.  My ‘baby’ who has become man enough to understand and to put up with my mood swings.  Man enough to know that I needed that nudge.

I put our small tree up.

I’ve yet to find an extension cord in order to light it, but it’s a significant beginning.

And as for my sweet son and his upcoming departure?  His significant beginning?   I’m learning there’s no need for the cord that once joined us.

He’ll continue to make me laugh – from afar.

He won’t stop loving me nor I him.

It will be a slow process for me – learning how to live in a home he no longer shares with me.

And it will be an exciting and strengthening process for him … learning how to ‘adult’ and not having to share a home with me.