So long, farewell, Auf Wiedersehen, goodnight!
Recently I gathered up my family members for a goodbye dinner to celebrate my impending move out of state. There is nothing my family loves more than a good party for ANY reason, so naturally they were all in attendance. We got together early on a Saturday afternoon, catching up on each other’s lives and chatting about what took place since we last seen each other for the holidays.
My oldest daughter was full of sun and fun having just returned from a week long Caribbean cruise with her boyfriend; her first vacation paid for by her own hand. My youngest daughter, on the brink of teenage bliss, showed off the tomboy she always had been is now blossoming into a young woman. And my only son just followed me around giving me all sorts of advice, as if I was a child moving away from home for the first time, instead of the other way around.
My family was all around me; Brother, Sister, Mom, Brother in law, Sister in law, Nephew. And I cannot forget to mention Roxie, my mom’s German shepherd, as much a member of the family as anything walking on two legs. You could measure the noise level with a Geiger counter, which is not only normal at a Henry family gathering but also a requirement in our family by-laws.(Go ahead, look it up, I’ll wait..) Everyone was talking and laughing at once with hands reaching over hands to snatch up the last chip with dip or piggy in the blanket. Being the mom that I am I could tune into specific conversations to see if any food needed replenishing or any arguments needed a referee.
Instead, I heard a lot of reminiscing. This past year saw two of my children leave the nest and start lives of their own. Many anecdotes started with “Remember when Mom did..…” and a few minutes later peals of laughter were ringing through the house. I stood apart from most of this and had the morbid thought that it was a little like being at a funeral. Think about it. A funeral is just another going away party where family and friends get together over a little food and drink and remember why they love you. It’s not often you get to hear with your own ears when you are being eulogized, but that is what it felt like, in a manner of speaking. Since moving away from my family feels like a little part of me is dying, I guess it felt good to know that I am leaving such wonderful memories behind me.
It will no longer be so easy to just swoop up the kids for an impromptu backyard cook out, or a matinee movie. No more Saturday afternoons playing Wii for hours on end. I will certainly miss watching the same Pixar movies over and over again and seeing who can remember the most movie quotes. Yet I take with me the same memories I have left with them. I leave for them my own living legacy; family love and joy. If they remember nothing else about me, I hope they remember how much I love them and how much joy they have brought to me. I hope they pass this legacy to their own children, however since I’m not ready to be a grandmother just yet they can hold it for the distant future.
As the night drew to an end I was reminded of one of my favorite musicals, The Sound of Music. So I will leave you with this refrain: “So long, farewell, Auf Wiedersehen, goodnight!! I hate to go and leave this pretty sight!” (Come on, you know the rest… go ahead, sing along with me!)
Love you guys!
Mom
xoxoxo
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