Monday, May 19, 2014

Changes

What if you left your life for six months then popped back in. What do you think would be different?
That's kind of what happened for my oldest son Spencer.
I took him back to college on Jan. 3. He arrived home last night.
Life went on, of course.
"Where's the trash can?" he asked turning toward the kitchen corner where the trash can used to be.
We painted that corner of the kitchen and moved the trashcan under the sink.
"Can I take a shower in the downstairs bathroom?" he asked.
"Ask Dad," I told him. "He just caulked it."
"Where is Dad?" he asked. "Still in bed?"
The clock read 11:19 a.m.
When Spencer left for college in January, Earl hadn't switched to working days. When he worked until midnight or 1 a.m., he often slept in (but never until 11).
"No, Spence, Dad is at work." He looked puzzled.
The entire world had shifted while he studied and partied in Florida.
"Can I switch to the basement bedroom when Grace moves into her apartment?" he asked.
"No, Tucker took over that bedroom. You can't kick him out."
When Spencer walked in the door last night, he scooped up one of our cats. "He seems so much calmer," Spencer said to the cat.
Just hang around for a little while and the cat will be skidding back and forth across the wood floors.
Not everything changes.

5 comments:

Linda said...

That's growing up for you.

Susan Lindquist said...

Yup ... it's such a mind-bender for kids when they leave and come back to have 'home' shifted a bit ...great post!

Just Me said...

Funny post. Now I'm wondering the changes you'll be finding in him and the questions of where is my son who always or would never or had to blah blah blah. Hopefully all delightful changes.

Lee I said...

My parents moved from Southern California to Northern California while I was away at college (back in the day when a cross country phone call was only for a death in the family and Christmas was the only trip home).

I felt like I didn't have a "home."

Paulita said...

Just Me, It's true that he has changed.
Lee, I feel so bad for you. I hope we don't do the same thing when our youngest son goes to college.

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