“They used to line up to watch me leave.
Even if I was just running to the store for 10 minutes…5 little faces would be pressed up against the glass.
‘Don’t forget to beep and wave!’ they’d yell, knocking each other over trying to claim their spot by the window.
We eventually even had to put little pieces of tape with their names on them right on the floor in front of the door so they would get into position with less arguing.
It made for a long goodbye to line up littles fairly each time we left the house.
And if God forbid we would forget to beep and wave…so many tears. They’d cry broken hearted tears of abandonment…the drama with this group is real.
I remember circling back after I once forgot, so eager was I for 30 minutes of uninterrupted diaper buying time at Target. But I got a phone call about an inconsolable someone and drove home just to beep and wave and then be on my way.
I fear I was even annoyed by all that love…not knowing I should have bottled up every bit of it to live on now. But the touched out feeling of the little years is so real and I have all the grace for the me of those days. She needed a break for the love and couldn’t be expected to see all the beauty right in front of her all of the times.
But today, I stood at that window alone.
My girl is now the one leaving.
And it’s been years since little toes lined up where I now stand, the small fingers that clung to lovies to comfort them as I left, now most often hold cell phones and the faces that used to press right up to watch me leave now glance up politely when I say I’m going away.
